Given the increase in the number of tap connections and water supply schemes across Kerala, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is embarking on a rationalisation programme for its field offices so as to ensure efficiency in service delivery and effective utilisation of staff.
As per a proposal drawn up by the State-run water utility, circle offices will be restructured on the basis of revenue districts. Each KWA divisional office would have three to four Assembly constituencies under it. Section offices, which maintain closer ties with the public, will be revamped based on the number of consumers/grama panchayats.
Earlier this month, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine informed the Assembly that the proposal was discussed with the KWA unions and in a workshop for senior officers. KWA officials told The Hindu that the proposal was being finetuned. ''At present, there are no circle offices in Wayanad and Kannur districts, and parts of different Assembly constituencies fall under a single division which causes difficulties,'' the KWA official said.
In September 2021, the KWA had formed an 11-member committee chaired by its managing director for carrying out a study on the proposed ''rationalisation of field offices.''
435 field offices
The KWA has 435 field offices handling water supply and, in select cities, sewerage services.
Staff patterns in these offices date back to 1984 and have not been modified despite the increase in water and sewerage connections and new projects. Implementation of the Centrally assisted Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) rural household tap connection initiative and the total sewerage systems for select towns, the need for rationalisation has become all the more important, according to the KWA.
From close to 25 lakh connections in 2019, domestic connections of the KWA have risen to 36.83 lakh following the launch of the JJM, and non-domestic connections, to 2.24 lakh. In 2021-22 alone, 7.88 lakh domestic connections and 11,923 non-domestic connections were given, according to the Water Resources department data. To meet JJM targets, the KWA has set an ambitious target of 32.96 lakh connections in the 2022-23 fiscal.
