The Hindu : Kerala News : Large-scale reclamation of tanks, ponds

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Jun 01, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Large-scale reclamation of tanks, ponds

By G. Prabhakaran

PALAKKAD, MAY 31. Even as the State is gearing up for a massive water conservation programme (of digging up two crore rainwater pits) on the occasion of World Environment Day on June 5, the drought-prone Palakkad district is engaged in the reclamation hundreds of natural ponds and levelling of tanks, mainly for real estate business, with the connivance of some government departments.

In the Palakkad municipal area alone, more than a dozen big tanks and ponds with an area of one to five acres are being filled up with earth by real estate dealers. The municipality itself is engaged in filling up one of the biggest tanks in the town near the Gaudar theatre with the wastes collected from the town.

The ponds and tanks being reclaimed and levelled include the Valiyakulam, Vettilakkulam, Manjakkulam, Evening Market pond, Menga Bazar pond, Chorakulam (Sultanpet), Nandavanam pond (Court Road) and Anerikulam at Tharekkad. These ponds and tanks are natural reservoirs that recharge the groundwater, ensuring enough water in the surrounding wells and paddy fields. There are various laws against reclamation and levelling of public or private ponds and tanks. In fact, the Collector had through a recent order banned the reclamation of any pond or well in the district in view of the drought-like situation here. Revenue officials have been asked to take a census of the ponds and wells in the district.

Large-scale reclamation of paddy fields has already affected the eco-system of Palakkad, known as the rice bowl of Kerala. There are those who believe that the drought-like situation in the district is a fallout of the reclamation of paddy fields, rivers, ponds, tanks and wells.

The second largest river of the State, Bharathapuzha, had dried up completely during this summer. Though there is some water flow now following the early onset of the southwest monsoon, the river has lost its water-retaining capacity owing to reckless sand mining.

Under the Jalanidhi scheme, 688 big open tanks and ponds were identified for renovation and conservation in the district in the 1990s. Of these, 50 are large, with a spread of between one and 12 hectares, 160 are of medium size, between one and two acres, and 471 are less than one acre in area.

Ottappalam taluk has the maximum number of 259 tanks and ponds. Three of them are very big and 23 have an area between 1 and 2 ha. Chittur taluk comes next with 221, 30 of which are very large and 95 medium-sized. Alathur taluk has 103, of which eight are very big and 38 medium-seized. Palakkad taluk has 37 tanks and ponds and eight of them are very big.

When the scheme to conserve the gift of nature was started, there was enthusiastic support from the people. But the scheme was not continued with vigour. As a result, only a few of the 688 tanks and ponds were conserved.

The State Water Policy announced in March 1992 calls for short-term water management strategies. These included deepening and desilting of wells in houses, community wells, tanks and ponds. Contour trenches and check-dams are also envisaged at appropriate places. But the policy remains on paper. Meanwhile, many private tanks have disappeared and some public tanks too have been encroached.

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