The Hindu : Acute drinking water scarcity in Achencoil river basin

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Mar 20, 2004

Kerala

Kerala - Pathanamthitta

Acute drinking water scarcity in Achencoil river basin

By Our Staff Reporter

PATHANAMTHITTA, MARCH 19. Many villages on the banks of the Achencoil river in Pathanamthitta district are reeling under acute water scarcity with the drastic depletion of water level in the river during the past few weeks.

Illegal earth filling of the main canals of the Kallada Irrigation Project (KIP) by private parties have rendered the irrigation system itself redundant at many places in the district.

Recently, the local people of Njakkunilam near Vallicaud have witnessed an unusual unity of local people cutting across political barriers to clear the earth-filled portion of the KIP canal to take water to the drought-hit areas in the locality.

It took about 10 days for the local people to clear the earth-filled portion of the KIP canal, leading to sufficient ground water recharging in the locality, says Mr. Gopinathan who spearheaded the mass movement.

Similarly, the KIP main canal at Thonnalloor in the Pandalam grama panchayat has been clogged with heaps of waste dumped into it from the surrounding areas, polluting the entire area, besides blocking the water flow in the canal.

The indiscriminate sand mining from the Achencoil has lowered the riverbed by not less than four metres during the past one decade, drying up many wells even right on the river banks.

Water scarcity is at its worst in different parts of Konni, Kodumon, Kaipattoor, Thumpamon and Pandalam in the Achencoil basin and not speak of the severe drought-situation in the hilly areas of the district.

The sand mafia is still at large in the Achencoil river basin, despite the widespread protests from various eco groups and other social outfits against the indiscriminate river sand mining.

Ironically, certain people associated with the sand mafia were also found to have been selling water in tanker lorries and large containers in the water-starved areas of Pandalam.

A tank carrying 5,000 litres of water costs Rs. 500. Recharging of wells by draining out water from tanker lorries into it is also common in the drought-hit hilly areas during summer.

Many who reportedly engage in illegal river sand mining under the cover of night have taken sale of water in tanker lorries as their daytime vocation in and around Pandalam.

However, it is also alleged that many panchayats are yet to assess the situation in its seriousness and launch effective schemes to solve the drinking water scarcity in their jurisdiction, despite getting drought relief from the Government.

The District Collector, Rabeendra Kumar Agarwal, has said that stern action would be taken against those who were found to have been polluting the water sources and violating the Water Act.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala

News Update

Stories in this Section

Farmers to get Rs. 15-lakh drought relief

Acute drinking water scarcity in Achencoil river basin