Thiruvananthapuram: Maintenance work at the 75 MLD Aruvikkara water treatment plant, scheduled following a recent power cable fault, will disrupt water supply in large parts of the city on Monday and Tuesday.Officials said the water supply will be affected from 8am to 8pm on both days as part of maintenance at the treatment plant and cleaning of storage tanks at Gangadevi and Observatory Hills. The work is being taken up after the plant was shut down last week due to damage to the power cable supplying electricity to the facility during road development works.
The cable damage forced the shutdown of the treatment plant on Friday, resulting in a near-total suspension of water supply across Thiruvananthapuram. The fault was rectified by KSEB the same day, following which power supply was restored and pumping resumed. However, locals in several areas complained that the water supply remained weak or irregular, particularly in higher-lying localities, even after restoration. Kerala Water Authority (KWA) said the upcoming disruption was unavoidable, as post-repair maintenance and tank cleaning were necessary to stabilise the system. “The damage to the power cable was fixed, and pumping has resumed. However, maintenance of the plant and cleaning of tanks are required after such disruptions. The water supply will be restored immediately after the work is completed,” Manoj M, executive engineer, KWA, Aruvikkara, said. Locals, however, said water supply disruptions became frequent since road works intensified in different parts of the city. Areas including Vellayambalam, Pattom, Palayam, PMG and surrounding localities reported recurring shortages, with pipeline damage during construction works often cited as the reason for prolonged interruptions. Many households have been forced to rely on private water tankers, paying between Rs 3,000 and Rs 5,000 per load, locals said
