Many city areas staring at a water crisis this summer

With several parts of Kochi reeling under a water crisis over the past several days, concerns are mounting over how the city will cope with the upcoming summer. Residents fear the situation could worsen during the summer months with a surge in demand.

Areas identified as likely to face drinking water shortages include Petta, Poonithura, Pachalam, Vaduthala, parts of SRM Road, Elamakkara, and Kaloor, as well as some tail-end regions in western Kochi.

Sankaranarayanan K.S., secretary of the Mukkottil Temple Road Residents Association in Poonithura, said the situation could deteriorate further during summer. “For the past several years, the Poonithura region has been facing a severe water crisis. Until now, some of us have managed using well water and rainwater harvesting, but the coming months could prove difficult,” he said.

The worst-affected localities are on the southern side of Poonithura. “Over 750 families are affected. While we have been grappling with drinking water shortages for several years, the situation becomes acute in December. Once summer sets in, demand increases and so does the crisis. Last summer was also difficult,” he added.

Maradu was another area that witnessed an acute drinking water crisis in recent days. According to Kerala Water Authority (KWA) sources, leaks in pipelines in the area have been fixed, and an improvement in supply is expected in the coming days.

“Water scarcity will hit us harder in summer. The utility lacks a master plan to address the issue. If water from the Maradu plant is fully utilised here, the drinking water crisis can be addressed,” said E.N. Nandakumar, a resident of Maradu and social activist.

Dismissing such concerns, the KWA said it is fully prepared to handle the situation, adding that challenges this summer are expected to be similar to those experienced in 2025.

The recent water crisis was a rare occurrence, a KWA source said. “The shortage experienced in the city was due to a cumulative effect, but it was an isolated incident. It resulted from a combination of factors, including power failure, a drop in river levels, and a breakdown at the Pazhoor pump house,” the source said. “If power failures and maintenance issues do not occur, nothing major will affect us this summer,” the source added.

The summer scarcity, the KWA said, arises mainly due to increased consumption. “We are aware of the areas that are vulnerable during summer, and a plan has been put in place to address shortages. This includes deploying tanker lorries and valve control measures to ensure supply to these regions,” the source said.