The Hindu : Kerala / Kochi News : Rainwater-harvesting projects remain neglected

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 09, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Kochi

Rainwater-harvesting projects remain neglected

G. Krishnakumar

Systems at Maharajas College, Collectorate rot

KOCHI: The signboard near the rainwater harvesting tank at the Ernakulam Government Maharajas College reads like this: "Model water conservation project funded by the renowned singer K.J. Yesudas."

But on a closer look, overgrown shrubs, unkempt premises, broken nets and murky water are seen engulfing the model project. This is the condition of a rainwater-harvesting project launched amid huge fanfare in the heart of the city.

Drive 12 km to the district headquarters at Kakkanad to get a bleaker picture. Rainwater may splash on the terrace of the Collectorate building, but it will not fall into the storage space thanks to the broken duct connecting the rooftop and the tank set up for collecting rainwater. The premises are maintained poorly. A picture on the tank explaining the flow of water says: "Tank with capacity for holding 10,000 litres."

From the District Collectorate, travel to Kumbalanghi, the first model tourism village in the country. Three years ago, the panchayat had distributed Rs. 500 each to 130 people to clean their ponds as part of a rainwater-harvesting project. Most of these ponds have turned into mosquito-breeding centres following lack of initiatives for proper maintenance. Tanker lorries carrying water to the village point to the stark reality of growing drinking water shortage here.

From Kumbalanghi, take a long route to Kalady grama panchayat. Three years ago, panchayat authorities had announced that 50,000 rain pits would be set up for rainwater harvesting. An ambitious Rs. 3.5 crore project to tackle drinking water scarcity was also announced by the ruling front. Setting up of rain pits is still in the cold storage. Water scarcity continues to be a severe problem for thousands of people in area such as Manikyamangalam, Puthiyakkara, Vattaparambu, Yordhanapuram and Mattoor.

V.N. Sivasankara Pillai, former Director of the School of Environmental Studies at Cochin University of Science and Technology, says: "Lack of maintenance is the major problem in all these rainwater harvesting projects. After inauguration, there is nobody to ensure that the storage tanks do not turn into mosquito-breeding centres. The tank at Maharajas is not closed. Chances of insect breeding are high. The situation at the district headquarters is no different. Like regular cleaning of water tanks carried out in our homes, the authorities should come forward to protect the rainwater harvesting projects," he adds.

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