Prisoners cry for water

KOCHI:  The District Jail at Kakkanad, built three months ago,  is reeling under acute shortage of potable water and is unable to meet the demands of increasing inmates.

The lack of facilities to store water in the jail has forced  the authorities to depend on private water tanker service,  which also raise serious security concerns.

“We get water from the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) only twice a week and all we have is a 1,000-litres of water tank to store it. We require more than 1,000 litres  a day and the water provided by the KWA will last for only two days. For the rest of the days, we have to depend on private water tankers,” said S Sajeevan, Deputy Superintendent of Jail.

“The cost of 1,000 litres of water is `500. Every week, more than five tankers of water are required for the 180 inmates. The  security risk in allowing private vehicles inside the jail compound is very high. There is also serious concern about the health issues as water supplied in tankers is not hygenic enough to be used for cooking, “ an official said. Sajeevan said two more water tanks and regular water supply from the KWA are required to solve the crisis. “ The jail has started its operation only three months ago. Its is not fully functional. We are looking at  other options to find a solution for the water crisis.” an official said. The number of inmates in the Kakkanad District jail has  increased to 180 from 140 inmates last month.