KWA is stepping up efforts to resolve the water supply disruption in Kozhikode
Residents of Kozhikode Corporation, two municipalities, 17 panchayats, a medical college and various other government institutions who depend on the JICA project for their daily needs are now getting water through alternative means. | Photo credit: File photo
The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) has stepped up efforts to resolve the disruption of water supply from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) drinking water project that carries water from the Peruvannamuzhi reservoir to various parts of Kozhikode district, including the city.
The recent downpours forced the KWA sub-division to reduce water supply to beneficiaries for almost a week. The continuous intake of highly turbid water led to severe clogging of the treatment plant’s filter beds, causing widespread water shortages in dependent areas. “The issue will be resolved within a week,” an official told The Hindu.
Residents of Kozhikode Corporation, two municipalities, 17 panchayats, a medical college and various other government institutions who depend on the JICA project for their daily needs are now getting water through alternative means.
The scheme usually supplies 200 million liters of water per day (MLD), which is above its designed capacity of 174 MLD. Jal Jeevan and Amrut Mission led to a 60% increase in additional connections. This congestion and additional supply requirements were maintained by running backup power plants alongside the main ones, the official said.
Authorities at the headquarters and the Peruvannamuzhi pumping station planned to carry out maintenance work at the power plants during the rainy season. However, erratic rainfall and a sudden increase in turbidity levels disrupted the schedule, leading to the current shortage.
The official said that the elevated areas of the district are suffering the most due to the encroachment. Currently, KWA is addressing the problem by supplying water to nine panchayats every other day, including Balussera, Nanmanda, Narikkuni, Kakkodi, Kuruvattur, Kunnamangalam, Peruvayal, Perumanna and Kakkur. These panchayats have access to wells, which enables them to cope better than urban areas. In addition, the method used to supply rural areas, including the village of Feroke, ensures uninterrupted water supply.
KWA could supply water normally, but chemicals like alum, a naturally occurring mineral compound (aluminum potassium sulfate) used to purify water, and others were added to remove turbidity. “However, we are concerned that the remedy may cause filter shock and water quality issues,” the official said.
He added that the cleaning work is underway and will be completed within a week, after which the situation will be under control. The problem may be permanently resolved within five to six months as construction of new plants is underway.
Published – 20 Jun 2026 21:35 IST