A full blown drinking water crisis is staring the capital city in the face what with plummeting water levels at the Peppara dam.
If last year at this time Peppara had water level of 108 metres, this time it is a mere 98 meters. According to estimates of KWA engineers this translates to about 75 days of water supply to the city.
‘We barely have enough water for August and September. If we do not get adequate rainfall during the Northeast monsoon (October, November, December) we are done for,” a KWA executive engineer told The Hindu.
If that happens, the KWA would have no choice but to once again impose rationing of water supply to the city. The rationing was done by throttling water supply valves to the city. At that time water was drawn from the Neyyar dam. A pumping facility was put up on a war footing at Kaappukadu.
However, the Neyyar dam is a irrigation facility and cannot meet the city’s water supply requirements perennially. Moreover, a weak monsoon means that much less water at the Neyyar.
After all there is limit to the construction of dams or tapping other rivers for water. Some engineers of KWA have long advocated for rainwater harvesting and ground water recharging to meet, partially if not fully, the city’s needs. In many countries recycling of water has been found to be the apt solution to an at-source deficit of water.
The government too needs to pitch in mandating rainwater harvesting mechanism atop houses and apartment complexes built after a cut-off date. According to experts, rain harvesting mechanisms can, in some cases, even be retro-fitted in high-rise buildings.
The City Corporation too needs to do its part, particularly on the groundwater recharge front. The civic body can identify plots of land in the city where rainwater towers and allied facilities can be installed. Such facilities can be installed inside sprawling campuses such as the Museum and Zoo, the Kanakakkunnu palace and other such facilities.
That said, this time the government appears to want to stay ahead of the curve on the drinking water front. Starting August 11, the Water Resources Minister Mathew T. Thomas has scheduled a series of video conferences to discuss ways to beat water shortage in each district. Officials cutting across departments are scheduled to participate.