Ernakulam may be declared a drought-hit district soon considering the fall in rain it received and other factors.
In its Drought Situation Assessment Report 2016, the Kerala State Drought Monitoring Cell of the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has suggested that Ernakulam may be declared drought hit by mid-October.
The rainfall analysis indicated that this season there has been a shortage of 34 per cent showers across the State. It was after taking into account the “present rainfall deficit, deviation in ground water level and lower than normal storage in reservoirs” that the cell reached the conclusion. More than half of the land area of the State is moderately to severely drought susceptible, it said. Drought is principally drinking water shortage in the State. The State’s economy, including majority of the electricity production, is significantly depended on the south-west monsoon, the report pointed out.
Data compiled by the cell indicated that rainfall deficit in Ernakulam is to the tune of 24 per cent till mid-October.
The cell has suggested to the authorities to lay emphasis on reduce, reuse and recycle water and priority should be given for drinking water needs. Water shall be allocated for agricultural activities only after meeting the drinking water needs till May 2017 or until the situation improves, it suggested.
While taking up drought risk-reduction and drought response activities, priority should be given to villages without perennial water sources, it said.
The report pointed out that there were 92 such villages in Ernakulam district without perennial water sources.
Of this, 16 villages, including Cheranalloor, Edappally, Mulavukad, Ernakulam, Elamkulam, Poonithura, Nadamel, Kalloorkkad, Fort Kochi, Mattanchery, Manjalloor, Thoppumpady, Maradu, and Edakochi, would be severely affected if the areas don’t receive copious rain. These villages were classified as severe drought- prone areas. The remaining villages were classified as moderate drought-prone areas.
