Overgrown Water Asset Haunts Varkala Amid Shortages

In Thoduve, Varkala, a dormant water supply project on nearly an acre of land has become an overgrown, neglected asset. This facility, once equipped with water tanks, a pump house, and staff quarters, now lies covered in vegetation with hundreds of abandoned pipes strewn about. Residents believe this decaying infrastructure could be repurposed for emergency water distribution and firefighting, particularly as parts of the municipality still grapple with drinking water scarcity.

The Thoduve water supply project originated in the late 1960s, initially serving the Varkala panchayat area through public fountains. Water was drawn from a stream on Sivagiri Mutt property, treated, and then pumped into the distribution network. As Varkala grew and became a municipality in 1980, the demand increased, but the Thoduve facility's capacity became insufficient by around 1990.

Consequently, the Vamanapuram water supply project was developed and became operational in the 1990s, leading to the discontinuation of the Thoduve scheme around 1997. With its closure, numerous cast-iron and cement pipes intended for distribution were left unused, and the associated buildings fell into disrepair. The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is now examining the site's condition to determine potential actions, including clearing the vegetation and removing old pipes.