The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Science institutes join hands to develop Bharathapuzha basin

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Wednesday, Oct 03, 2007
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Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Science institutes join hands to develop Bharathapuzha basin

T. Nandakumar

KSCSTE set to launch mapping of the river basin

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Bharathapuzha river basin, covering 4400 sq. km in Kerala, is set to become the crucible of a unique experiment harnessing science and technology for social and economic development at the regional level.

The Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment (KSCSTE) is preparing to launch an ambitious project to map the river basin, under a proposal to catalyse regional development through improved resource management.

The project will be implemented in Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram districts, with the collaboration of local bodies, government departments and other stakeholders.

The integrated programme is aimed at improving the standard of life in the region by providing livelihood assistance, employment opportunities, better health care and improved accessibility and mobility.

It also seeks to enhance agricultural productivity and improve the market for forest produce by value addition.

Research centres

Six research and development centres — the Centre for Earth Science Studies (CESS), the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), the National Transportation Planning and Research Centre (NATPAC), the Rajiv Gandhi Centre for Biotechnology (RGCB) and the Tropical Botanic Garden and Research Institute (TBGRI) — will be active partners in the project, estimated at Rs. 13 crore over a period of three years. Scientists attached to these institutes will be involved in field work.

The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has agreed to finance the project under the Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF).

KSCSTE Executive Vice-President E.P. Yesodharan said the programme was expected to be launched shortly. He said the pilot project was being designed as a model that could be replicated in other river basins in Kerala.

The council has identified seven key sectors for the integrated development of the river basin. The activities to be taken up under the project include preparation of maps and digital data of the study region and diagnostic analysis of the river basin.

Identification of communities and ecosystems vulnerable to drought and floods, development of water conservation systems and integrated development plan for selected areas and hotspots are some of the major objectives.

Medicinal plants

The programme also seeks to promote cultivation of medicinal plants, bamboo and mushroom in selected panchayats, with production and processing units and a marketing network for mushroom-based products. A buyback arrangement for medicinal plants and documentation and protection of biodiversity-based traditional knowledge are also to be taken up.

Other priority areas are assessment of road connectivity and identification of weak links, preparation of a core road network and master plan for the region, improvement of waterways and demonstration of projects on the use of locally available waste plastics and natural rubber-modified bitumen for road construction.

Resource map

A resource inventory of minerals and construction materials, site- specific management plan for hotspots and disaster-prone areas, environment management plan and integrated coastal zone management plan are to be prepared under the programme.

In the health sector, the activities include mitigation measures to control waterborne and communicable diseases and recommendations for future health-care systems.

Eco-restoration of degraded and vulnerable forest areas, introduction of superior teak clones for plantation, popularisation of organic manure and protection of river banks using bioshields constitute the thrust areas in the forest biodiversity sector.

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