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Water Supply

Malappuram gears up to tackle drought crisis

Friday, 05 April 2013 11:48 administrator
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The Times of India                       05.04.2013

Malappuram gears up to tackle drought crisis

MALAPPURAM: As the severe drought due to the shortage of rainfall has resulted in substantial crop loss and drinking water shortage in various parts of Malappuram district, the authorities have decided to take immediate measures to address the situation.

The municipalities and panchayats will distribute drinking water free-of-cost through tanker vehicles.

A special meeting presided by the urban affairs minister Manjalam Kuzhi Ali held at district collector's chamber has informed that each municipality and panchayat will spend Rs 10 lakh and Rs 5 lakh respectively for the distribution of drinking water in respective regions.

The meeting has decided to complete the construction works of temporary check dams, which are being set up across the district. A total of 535 check dams would be constructed in 15 blocks in the district. Government has already earmarked Rs 2.5 crore for the works.

According to the agricultural department, paddy cultivation in 46 hectares have been destroyed due to the unavailability of water and paddy crops in 1972 hectares have been partially destroyed, as the district had suffered a substantial shortfall in rainfall.

Farmers had also suffered an additional loss of Rs 4 crore in summer. The actual loss of crops due to sudden downpour is yet to be ascertained.

Plantain cultivation in 1,165 hectares and vegetable cultivation in more than 100 hectares also have been destroyed owing to water shortage in the district.

Vengara, Valancheri, Edarikode, Malappuram, Tanur, Nilambur, Chungathara, Thiruvali, Vandur, Perinthalmanna and Athavanadu are the worst-affected region in the district.

Crops were also affected due to the failure of the southwest and northeast monsoons.

As per the criteria of state government, only the farmers who suffered complete loss of crops deserve the compensation amount. More than 5,400 farmers have already submitted application for the compensation in the district.

Meanwhile farmers in Vazhayoor, Vazhakkad, Edavannappara and Areekode regions heaved a sigh of relief because some water was provided to them from the Oorkkadavu-regulator-cum bridge in Chaliyar river

According to the agricultural department sources, only 3% farmers in the district are the beneficiaries of various farm insurance schemes.

Meanwhile, the farmers are demanding more compensation as most of them have lost their livelihood and many of those who started cultivation have burnt their fingers. It is estimated that 50% of the paddy and more than 60% of other crops had already withered.
Last Updated on Friday, 05 April 2013 11:50
 

Potable water kiosks to end drought woes

Friday, 05 April 2013 08:10 administrator
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The New Indian Express                  05.04.2013

Potable water kiosks to end drought woes

People facing acute shortage of drinking water in the wake of severe drought can now heave a sigh of relief.

The state’s first set of  ‘drinking water kiosks’ which will provide safe, potable water in areas facing water shortage, will start functioning from next week onwards in Kannur.

The proposal for setting up water kiosks in severely drought-hit areas of the state was mooted during a drought risk reduction meeting held recently by the Revenue Department.

‘’The District Collectors were asked to identify areas with maximum drinking water shortage in coordination with local bodies,’’  Dr Sekhar Kuriakose, Head of the Hazard Vulnerability and Risk Assessment Cell of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority, told ‘Express’.

Setting up of ‘water kiosks’ was one among the 26-point proposals for drought mitigation, he said, adding that Kannur district took the lead in this direction. Other districts are also expected to set up water kiosks in water-scarce areas soon.

‘’Water kiosks are basically tanks with a capacity to store 5,000 to 10,000 litres of potable water. After consultations with village panchayat representatives, 55 locations in the district which face acute water shortage were identified,’’ Kannur District Collector Ratan Kelkar said.

Terming the water scarcity in these 55 locations as ‘’acute’’,  Kelkar said that wells in the area, which was the only source of drinking water for people, had totally dried up.

 The Kerala Water Authority will provide water to these kiosks on a periodic basis and the cost will be borne from the drought relief fund of the district administration. Grama panchayat members and secretaries will be entrusted with the task of maintaining these kiosks. They will decide the quantum of water needed for each family and inform the KWA of the requirements, Kelkar said. 

Though the kiosks will run for the time being using the drought relief fund, panchayats will be asked to use their plan funds to maintain it in future, he said.

 

KWA to install 450-hp pump at Sasthamcotta

Friday, 05 April 2013 05:56 administrator
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The Hindu                     05.04.2013

KWA to install 450-hp pump at Sasthamcotta

Going down:The pump house of the Kerala Water Authority on the banks of Sasthamcotta Lake. The level in the feeding channel has come down.— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar
Going down:The pump house of the Kerala Water Authority on the banks of Sasthamcotta Lake. The level in the feeding channel has come down.— Photo: C. Suresh Kumar.

Water supply to Kollam city to be improved.

In order to improve water supply to Kollam city, the Kerala Water Authority (KWA) is installing a new 450-hp pump to draw water from Sasthamcotta Lake. The pump, expected to start operating in two weeks, will complement the existing 250-hp pump at the KWA pump house at Sasthamcotta.

According to the KWA, the new pump is being installed because the flow through the feeding channel of the pump house has become weak following a big drop in the lake’s water level. The water level has fallen by over one metre compared to the level in the same period last year. This has affected supply to the city badly.

While earlier the city was provided with daily water supply for a couple of hours in the morning, following the fall in the channel’s flow, the city was bifurcated into two zones by the KWA and supply provided on alternate days to each zone. The system is operating without much complaint as the supply is largely seen to be satisfactory.

The new pump has been installed at a location where the water has appreciable depth. It will feed the feeding channel of the pump house.

This will improve the water position in the pump house well and in turn enable the pump house to supply more water to the treatment plant and in the process improve supply to the city. Since the water wells in many areas of the city have gone dry because of the drought situation, people are depending more and more on the KWA supply.

The water treatment plant at Sasthamcotta has an installed capacity to treat 37.5 million litres of water per day. But the current water level in the lake permits an intake of only 28 million litres per day. Since the flow through the feeder channel has fallen considerably, only about 15 million litres of water per day is being pumped now.

KWA authorities hope that when the new pump is operated the pump house will be in a position to draw 28 million litres of water per day. But if the water level in the lake continues to drop, that much intake may not be possible. Still, the supply to Kollam will be comparatively better.

 
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