Kannur collector offices owe ₹35 crore in water dues to KWA

Various offices operating from the Kannur collector complex have accumulated nearly ₹ 40,000 crore in outstanding water dues payable to the Kerala Water Authority (KWA). Of this, ₹ 5 lakh was remitted recently after the intervention of the District Collector, reducing the remaining amount to ₹ 35 lakh.

There are more than 50 offices in the collector complex. The Public Works Department (PWD) is responsible for building maintenance and paying KWA water charges.

According to KWA officials, the dues have accumulated over the years and no effective action has been taken despite repeated reminders to collect them. When contacted, C. Savitha, executive engineer, PWD Building Division, said the amount owed was for water supplied to offices through common connections maintained by PWDs.

In December, a decision was made to divide responsibilities between the unions based on the number of employees after a meeting called by another district magistrate. Subsequently, OZP sought details of staff strength from all departments to determine each office’s share of fees. However, only 13 authorities have responded so far, she said.

Ms. Savitha said that the fees accumulated over time as the proposed system of distribution of fees among various authorities was not finalised. She added that individual water meters were not installed for the offices, which makes it difficult to assess consumption separately.

She further said that the District Collector has recently reviewed the matter and is expected to convene a meeting soon to finalize the division of liability and recovery of outstanding dues.

Published – 05 Jun 2026 19:54 IST