Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine has given contradictory replies in the assembly on KWA’s consent to provide water for the proposed distillation and brewery unit at Kanchikode in Palakkad. In response to a query whether the KWA Superintendent Engineer (SE), Palakkad, gave consent to provide water for the Oasis Commercial Private Limited from the KINFRA water supply scheme, the Minister said on Monday that no such permit was given.
He then went on to say that the KWA SE only gave a letter stating that the company can probe the possibility of ensuring water availability to take part in the tender process for the production of ethanol. Earlier the Minister had told the assembly that KWA SE issued a letter to the company saying that water can be spared from the KINFRA water supply scheme. On Monday, he said, KWA only gave a reply suggesting that the company can explore the possibility of using water from the KINFRA scheme. This has caused a confusion regarding the KWA stand; whether it gave the nod to use water or not for the proposed brewery plant.
The Minister was again asked on Monday if the SE’s decision to issue a letter of consent was legal and if it contradicted a government order issued in 2015. Roshy Augustine reiterated that KWA has not taken a decision to provide water from KINFRA water supply scheme contrary to the order issued in 2015 and that the letter only hinted at exploring the possibility of using water from the 10mld industrial water supply scheme meant for the KINFRA industrial park.
A month ago, the Minister was far more straightforward in his reply. On February 11, he was asked if Oasis Commercial Private Limited entered into any kind of agreement with the KWA for the supply of water for the brewery unit. The Minister said that there was no agreement. He added, “The company sought an assurance on water availability to take part in the tender. Accordingly, on June 16, 2023, the SE gave a letter saying that water can be spared from the KINFRA.”
Photos: Special arrangement.
The reply to the question on the quantity of water that the company demanded and how much the KWA has agreed to give was “Not applicable.”
The Minister’s reply on February 11 is backed up by the original letter of the SE and the application of Oasis Commercial Private Limited, which he furnished in the assembly. In the letter, KWA SE(Palakkad) writes that KWA has been asked to give water consent of sufficient quantity for the upcoming project in Elappully for tender participation with oil companies for signing an Expression of Interest. “I would like to inform you that water can be spared to the upcoming project from the KINFRA water supply scheme implemented by KWA,” the SE wrote.
The letter was given in response to an application filed by A Gopikrishnan (vice president, Operations), Oasis Commercial Private Limited, which said that the company had to satisfy two conditions, land availability and water availability, to take part in the tender process for the supply of denatured anhydrous ethanal to oil marketing companies. The company sought a consent from the KWA from its facilities for the project, and based on this consent, it wanted to bid for the same.
In 2015, the Water Resources Department issued an order allocating 10 mld water to KINFRA for the first phase of industrial park development at Kanchikkode out of the 96 mld water already allocated to the KWA from the Malampuzha dam. The order was issued based on a meeting chaired by the then-chief minister to discuss the issues related to the industrial water supply scheme for Palakkad. It was decided that Irrigation department will allow KINFRA to draw 10 mld water from the Malampuzha dam to Palakkad industrial water supply scheme.