KWA Rejects Special Tariff for Sabarimala Water Supply Ahead of Pilgrimage Season

A dispute over water tariffs for the Sabarimala hill shrine and its base camp at Nilakkal has surfaced as Kerala prepares for the annual pilgrimage season, with the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) recommending that the Travancore Devaswom Board's (TDB) request for a special rate be turned down.

In a report submitted to the special secretary of the Water Resources department, the KWA contended that classifying Sabarimala as a bulk consumer would be legally and financially unworkable. It has instead sought to keep the connections under the Non-Domestic category at the prevailing rate of ₹54.1 per 1,000 litres.

The authority, however, has indicated room for a compromise. Should the government choose to revise the tariff as a policy decision, the KWA has proposed a special rate pegged to the actual cost of supplying water to Sabarimala and Nilakkal. Alternatively, the government or the Devaswom department could compensate the authority through an advance special grant for the revenue forgone due to the concession.

According to the KWA, supplying a kilolitre of water costs ₹75.47 at Sabarimala and ₹86.89 at Nilakkal. At the proposed subsidised bulk rate of ₹16.61 per kilolitre, the authority would lose between ₹58 and ₹70 on every kilolitre supplied.

The KWA has also cautioned that extending the subsidised bulk tariff — currently intended for local self-government institutions — to Sabarimala could trigger similar demands from other places of worship and charitable trusts.

Unlike its arrangement with local bodies, where water is supplied only up to a designated entry point, the KWA operates and maintains the entire distribution network at Sabarimala and Nilakkal. It has argued that treating the connections as bulk supply while retaining all operation and maintenance responsibilities would be technically and administratively impractical.

The logistical burden is especially heavy at Sabarimala. The authority lays and maintains pipelines through the difficult terrain of the Periyar Tiger Reserve and surrounding hill ranges, runs water treatment plants round the clock, maintains storage facilities and pump houses, and ensures direct supply to pilgrimage points. It also carries out daily water quality monitoring, operates an NABL-accredited laboratory at Pampa and runs kiosks providing potable water to pilgrims.

Separately, the Kerala High Court has directed the State government to convene a meeting within a week to settle the question of who is responsible for repairing and reconstructing the civil structures housing the KWA's Main Booster Stations at Neelimala Bottom, Neelimala Top and Appachimedu.

The court stepped in amid a standoff between the TDB and the KWA, with each maintaining that the other is responsible for the works. The KWA has prepared an estimate of ₹3.86 crore for the job.

The court has also directed the government to address issues relating to the availability and sanction of funds and the manner in which the works are to be executed. In its order dated September 16, it said the issue should be resolved urgently given the approaching pilgrimage season and the need to ensure uninterrupted water supply to Sabarimala, and asked for a report on the decision taken and the steps proposed within ten days.