Potable water for swimming pools!

KOCHI: When the people of Maradu and adjacent areas have no water to drink, potable water from these areas are allegedly being used to fill-up swimming pools and for construction activities in the city.It is learned that the private tanker lorries are drawing huge quantity of water from the government-certified pump houses and diverting it to high-rises and hotels in the city. Apart from Maradu, Kakkanad, Kumbalam and Vyttila are the other areas running short of potable  water. Maradu municipal chairman T K Devarajan has admitted that despite the shortage, water from the government pump houses is being diverted to hotels and lodges. It has to be noted that the lorries draw water from the pump houses after paying fees. “Maradu is getting water from the Thammanam pump house. People have already come up against the move to divert water,” he said. Thrikkakara municipal chairman P I Mohammadali  said that tanker lorries are drawing water not only from the Thammanam pump house but from pump houses in Kalamassery and Thoppil. The district administration had given permission to draw 1,000 litres of water at `30 from the Kerala Water Authority-certified pump houses. The KWA said that nearly 40 tanker lorries are taking water from the Thammanam Pump House. “More tanker lorries are approaching them after the district administration directive,” said Assistant executive engineer Govindakumar. He also admitted that the potable water was being used for other purposes. “The KWA cannot follow the water tankers to  check whether water is used exclusively for drinking. The water could be used for construction works and filling swimming pools,” he said.