Steni Simon By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : Water crisis has been disrupting lives at Kanaka Nagar, Nanthancode, for two years and the situation has worsened now. There is an acute shortage of drinking water in the area and residents have now approached the Kerala State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC) for help. Following this, the commission sought an explanation from the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and ordered it to find a permanent solution.Residents of around 300 houses at Kanaka Nagar are forced to find alternatives for their daily chores because of unavailability of water supply. Express Illustration “Water is supplied only for a few hours around midnight. In the morning, there is an acute water shortage. Although we have raised the issue several times before the KWA officials, no action has been taken. We may approach the chief minister to resolve the issue,” said K S Ramachandran Potti, treasurer, Kanaka Nagar Residents Welfare Association. Most of the pipes in the area are old and prone to pipe bursts and leak, he said. Kanaka Nagar is one of the several areas in and around Vellayambalam that have been facing acute water shortage. In May, residents of Nanthancode ward led by their councillor had staged a protest outside the office of the KWA executive engineer, alleging that several areas of the ward had been denied water supply for several months. A letter requesting the replacement of metallic pipes with PVC pipes was also submitted to the corporation but no action was taken. “The force of water supplied in the area in the morning hours has lessened. This problem is also being faced by people residing at Vellayambalam, Sasthamangalam and Keston Road, “ said K K Dhanadevan, former secretary of Kanaka Nagar Residents Welfare Association. “Earlier, when a leak was detected in the area and rectified, KWA officials assured us that there won’t be a shortage of water supply. But after two days, the situation was the same and there was no water,” said Dhanadevan. A few years ago, there was a pipeline connected to Cliff House from which residents received water supply but now the line has been disconnected as water is supplied through tankers at the chief minister’s residence. Since then, potable water has been unavailable. As the residents are not allowed to keep big tanks, they have a problem in storing enough water even when the supply comes. “A petition has been filed by a Kanaka Nagar resident regarding the shortage of water supply in the area. Based on this, an explanation has been sought from the KWA officials. They have been given four weeks to respond,” said a KSHRC official. Meanwhile, KWA officials said that there are technical issues that need to be addressed and they are trying to find a solution to resume the smooth supply of water in the area.

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