The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) will replace ageing and undersized sewer lines across southern Thiruvananthapuram, with 11 proposed works expected to benefit around 5,000 families. The authority has received administrative sanction for the project and initiated the tendering process, with work planned to begin in the second week of November.
The project covers several neighbourhoods where existing sewer lines are more than 25 years old. KWA plans to replace them with larger-diameter pipes to improve carrying capacity as household numbers and sewage loads have increased alongside residential development. The works will also include constructing or reconstructing manholes to enable inspection, blockage clearance and routine maintenance.
A KWA source in the sewerage section said the tendering process was expected to be completed by Monday, after which labour and machinery would be mobilised. “We hope to begin the work by the second week of Nov,” the source said.
At Anil Nagar in Karamana, the authority has proposed replacing a 150mm sewer line with a 250mm line and reconstructing damaged manholes. In Soorya Nagar and Sasthri Nagar in Aranoor, a 150mm line is proposed to be upgraded to 200mm, along with the construction of manholes.
Similar 150mm-to-200mm upgrades are planned at Sangeeth Nagar, including the Karur Vysya Bank by-road, S S Kovil Road and a branch road opposite President Bar in Thampanoor. At Thaliyal, KWA plans to replace a 150mm sewer line with a 300mm pipe and construct manholes. Another work will involve relaying the sewer main between Thampuranmukku and Miranda Junction using a 250mm pipe.
The proposed works also include replacing old and damaged sewer lines with larger pipes in Thamarabhagam, near Kumarapuram and Pattom. New sewer lines are planned on branch stretches near Cotton Hill School at Vazhuthacaud. Sewer-network rehabilitation and additional manhole-related works are also part of the package.
Manholes are access chambers along underground sewer lines that allow workers to inspect the network, clear blockages and carry out repairs. KWA said damaged manholes may need reconstruction to ensure safe access and proper maintenance of the sewerage system.
“Several of the existing sewer lines are more than 25 years old. The number of households in these areas has increased over the years, resulting in a higher sewage load,” the KWA source said.
The planned pipe upgrades range from 150mm replacements with 200mm, 250mm and 300mm lines, depending on the identified stretch. The next formal step is completion of tendering, followed by mobilisation of labour and machinery before the authority’s proposed November start.
