Despite repeated complaints from residents and councillors, several parts of West Kochi continue to experience acute water shortage, according to residents.
Taking note of a complaint filed by a resident about acute water shortage, the Kerala High Court had recently issued a directive to the State government to take steps to ensure drinking water supply for the residents of West Kochi, 30 wards of the Kochi Corporation, and Chellanam and Kumbalangi panchayats.
In Fort Kochi alone, tanker lorries have to be used to supply water in certain pockets every alternate day. “There are areas that do not receive water at all, and in such places, we are relying entirely on tanker lorries. Regions near the PWD Rest House, St. John De Britto Anglo-Indian High School, and Cochin Club in Fort Kochi are some of the regions facing acute water crisis. We have been told by the Kerala Water Authority [KWA] that a connection has to be changed and a pipeline has developed a problem,” said Shiny Mathew, councillor, Division 1 (Fort Kochi). She added that there were allegations that water was being diverted, leading to shortage.
The court had issued the order on a petition filed by Thampi Subramaniyan, a resident of ESI Road, Kochi. In his plea, Mr. Subramaniyan had alleged that there was acute drinking water shortage, and that the residents of the western regions of Kochi were facing scarcity of drinking water.
He had sought to ensure proper water supply in the areas and to install flow meters at all relevant supply points to prevent diversion and ensure proper water management.
Meanwhile, KWA officials maintained that the crisis experienced in the city was a cumulative result of several factors. “There were several factors at play here. There were KSEB shutdowns due to which pumping could not be carried out. Further, there was disruption due to maintenance works and air blocks in pipelines that affected the flow of water. These disruptions affected supply resulting in water shortage. However, we are getting back to normality now,” the official said.
The official added that the utility was preparing an affidavit to be furnished in the court. The court had directed the KWA to file an affidavit explaining the steps taken to ensure drinking water supply within two weeks.
Published – February 04, 2026 09:40 pm IST
