Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram   

Steps for social water security

Staff Reporter

World Water Day observed

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Conservation of existing sources of water and scientifically determining the quality of water in these sources will be given prime importance as part of the social water security drive that will be carried out this year, Minister for Water Resources N.K. Premachandran has said.

He was inaugurating World Water Day observance organised by the Department of Water Resources here on Thursday.

Fifty sources of water will be identified in each ward of the 999 grama panchayats in the State and the quality of water scientifically determined. Students in schools and colleges will also be given `field test kits' to help them pitch in for the quality testing initiative. The Government plans to build a large data bank on quality related parameters and plans to initiate comparative studies on the quality of water available across the State, he said.

The Government had already spent Rs.17 crore for tackling drought. The Government may be called upon to spend much more than this to see the State through this year's drought. The Government plans to bring rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge programmes under one agency to enable better planning and coordination in implementing such schemes. Further, the Government also plans to set up a body with statutory powers to protect and preserve the river wealth of the state.

The Government was fully convinced that only very stringent laws could help protect the sources of water in the State, Mr. Premachandran said. A framework of the bill for the proposed River Basin Authority will soon be prepared by the committee formed for this purpose. "Even if we begin with a skeleton body it will be okay," the Minister said.

Debates and quizzes on rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge will be organised for students in the State and the person coming up with the best rainwater harvesting/ groundwater recharge project will be given a State-level award.

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