e-payment facility at more divisions

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) will extend the facility for online payment of water bills to 13 more divisions in the State, Water Resources Minister N.K. Premachandran has said.

Replying to questions in the Assembly on Thursday, Mr. Premachandran said the facility was already available in Thiruvananthapuram division and it would be extended to other divisions in the current financial year. The KWA will start marketing of bottled drinking water in February 2011. Following the augmentation of water supply in Ernakulam district, fresh drinking water connections will be given to domestic consumers in Thripunithura, Vadakkekara and Paravur areas from August 1. Work on the Kalippara and Kottayam-Pattiyam-Koothuparambu drinking water projects will begin this year.

He said the Meenad drinking water project would be commissioned this year. The tender documents of the Ayilamkadavu drinking water scheme at Kazhakkuttom in Thiruvananthapuram were reported missing. Following a preliminary inquiry, it has been found that the documents were missing from the Secretariat. The next Cabinet meeting will decide the nature of probe to be instituted in this case. As per statistics on March 31, the drinking water arrears due from various consumers amounted to Rs.257.69 crore. The arrears of local self-government institutions amounted to Rs.243.09 crore.