The Kattakkada constituency has over the past two years been a model in water conservation activities with several ponds being revived and groundwater recharging systems being installed in several institutions under the ‘Jalasamrudhi’ project. Under the Haritha Keralam Mission, the next step is being taken in water conservation, with measuring scales and boards being set up at 100 ponds in the region for constant monitoring of water levels.
The monitoring and maintenance of a record of water level in every locality is especially important in summer, when water from ponds having surplus can be used to supply to those areas experiencing scarcity. Till now, measuring scales and a board showing the amount of water for each scale reading, have been installed at 20 ponds in the Kattakkada panchayat. The work is progressing in five other panchayats nearby.
Good record
“The decision to constantly monitor water levels at all water sources in the State was taken at a meeting chaired by the Chief Minister recently.
Since Kattakkada constituency has already made much progress in water conservation in recent years, we began the project from there. Every month, reading from all the ponds will be fed to the database. A mobile application has been developed for data collection. It will be published in a website. The database will be available with the panchayat too, so that they can make use of it during the periods of drought to manage water supply,” says A. Nizamudeen, Land Use Board Commissioner.
The people in each locality will also be made aware of the importance of monitoring and conserving the water levels. In Kattakkada, the groundwater level has shown improvement in recent times due to several interventions under the Jalasamridhi project. Groundwater recharging system, which involves a piped system which collects rainwater in a particular area into a pit, has been installed in 36 institutions, including government schools and offices.
In some schools, where the wells used to dry up by November a few years ago, there is ample water in the wells this year, following the groundwater recharging activities.