Thiruvananthapuram: A Rs 2.75 crore drinking water project in Anchuthengu has failed to supply water to households due to incomplete pipeline work, leaving residents in coastal panchayats dependent on tanker supply and bottled water amid an acute summer shortage. With peak summer, the continued delay in operationalising the project has raised concerns of a prolonged drinking water crisis across the coastal belt.The project involved the construction of a large overhead reservoir and a pipeline network to ensure supply to all wards. While the reservoir has been completed and inaugurated, the pipeline work remains unfinished, rendering the facility non-functional. Officials said pipelines have been laid only up to Meeran bridge, with the crucial stretch connecting the reservoir still pending. “Until the final stretch is completed, the system cannot be made operational,” a Kerala Water Authority (KWA) official said. The delay has worsened an already severe crisis in coastal areas such as Kadakkavoor, Anchuthengu and Vakkom, where most households depend on KWA supply. With reduced availability during summer, water is now being supplied only once a week in many places. Residents say the irregular supply has forced them to rely on tanker lorries or purchase bottled water. “We wait for days for drinking water. Sometimes, even the water we receive is muddy and unusable,” said Merry A, resident of Anchuthengu. In Kadakkavoor panchayat, areas including Melattingal, Vellaramkunnu, Palamkonam and Manchadikunnu are facing acute shortages. In Vakkom, supply in elevated regions such as Kunnuvila, Lakshmivila and Mulluvila has been disrupted for days. Most wells in these coastal belts have dried up, further worsening the situation. Panchayats have started distributing water through tanker trucks, but residents say the supply is insufficient and often fails to reach interior areas. Local representatives have called for urgent intervention to complete the pending pipeline work and restore regular water supply. “Money has been spent, but people are still struggling for drinking water. The pipeline work must be expedited,” said S Praveen Chandra, a member of the Anchuthengu grama panchayat.
