A drinking-water contamination complaint in Ward 24 of Perumbavoor municipality has raised concerns among households, hotels and commercial establishments that depend on Kerala Water Authority pipeline supplies, with residents reporting foul-smelling water and some households without wells leaving their homes.
The complaint relates to the western part of the town, where businesses, hotels and residences rely on piped water from the authority. According to the report, residents began receiving water with an unpleasant odour and described it as contaminated. The account does not establish through laboratory testing whether the supply has been contaminated, but it records complaints that the water is unfit for regular use.
The reported problem has a direct bearing on buildings that do not have an alternative water source. Residents with access to wells may be able to avoid using the affected pipeline supply, while households without wells face fewer immediate options. The report said some such residents have vacated their homes after the problem began.
Residents and petitioners have linked the complaint to the way water-supply pipes are laid through drainage channels carrying polluted water. They said ageing pipes could corrode, deteriorate or develop cracks over time. If a damaged pipe is located within or alongside a contaminated drain, polluted water could enter the drinking-water line through the damaged section, according to the explanation cited in the complaint.
Finding the precise location of any possible pipe break would be necessary before repairs can address the reported problem, the petitioners said. The complaint therefore points to an infrastructure issue that extends beyond the quality of water at individual taps: the condition, location and maintenance of the distribution network can determine whether treated water remains safe before it reaches buildings.
The report said residents had complained that the municipality and the Kerala Water Authority had not taken action. A petition was submitted to the Water Authority and the municipal chairperson by V.P. Khader, an area committee member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), P.C. Babu, local committee secretary, K.E. Noushad, CITU area treasurer, councillor V.P. Babu and Giri Baby.
The reported response so far has centred on the submission of the petition. The supplied report does not include a statement from the Kerala Water Authority or the Perumbavoor municipal administration confirming the source of the foul-smelling water, identifying a damaged section of pipeline, announcing water testing or specifying a repair schedule. Further action would depend on inspection of the network and an official assessment of the supply.
