KWA’s Blue Brigade team to undergo modernization!

Once the team gets new vehicles and equipments, KWA hopes to make the Blue brigade more efficient in their repair works.

The Blue Brigade, a special team formed by the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) to rectify faults in city’s pipelines is all set for a modernization. The move will help to make the Blue brigade team more efficient in responding to repair works.

According to a senior KWA official, a proposal had been submitted to the authority for procuring double cabin pick-up vehicles and two-wheelers. The proposal included purchase of emergency light sets, tar- and concrete-cutting machines, first-aid box, jack hammer, safety gear for the workers, and generators.

Blue Brigade currently lacks vehicles that can manoeuvre through narrow roads and equipment to rectify the leaks. Also, the workers of the brigade do not have any safety gadgets. The absence of concrete- and road-cutting machines increase the workload and time for repair works.

“The existing vehicle is a truck and is not suited to our roads. If a leak occurs in a narrow lane, the workers have to go by foot carrying the heavy equipment used to plug the leaks. This has seriously hampered our work,” a member of the brigade said to The Hindu.

KWA also has plans to set up more brigades at Aruvikkara, Neyyattinkara and Attingal divisions. Currently the team from Trivandrum is sent to other divisions for leak repair work, which will cause huge delay in repair works.

Once the team gets new vehicles and equipments, KWA hopes to make the Blue brigade more efficient in their repair works. The Blue brigade was formed to take on the contractor lobby which often fails to attend to the leaks even after being alerted by the Kerala Water Authority.