Mazhapolima (bounty of rain), a well-recharging programme using rainwater, has proved an effective and economic way of tackling the severe water crisis in the State.
The simple technique, channelling roof water to open wells through a filter, replenishes the aquifers and improves quality and quantity of water. Mazhapolima, which connects the sky to the land, was initiated in 2008 by the Thrissur district administration in association with local self-government government institutions under the guidance of the then District Collector V.K. Baby. The project has succeeded in recharging 25,550 wells in the State, 75 per cent of these in Thrissur district. Besides, many families have implemented similar projects on their own.
According to estimates of the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, there are 65 lakh wells in Kerala, perhaps the highest density of wells in the world. However two-thirds of them go dry in summer. Salinity and turbidity also make many wells unusable. With a clean rooftop and a pipe to connect it to the well, water security can be assured throughout the year, says Jos Raphael, coordinator of the Mazhapolima project.
The rooftop should be cleaned before the first rain. The first rain will flush out impurities. The water harvested after that will be pure.
Around 70 per cent of households in Kerala depend on well water. The well-recharging programme to deal with the State’s water woes is a logical extension of this data, Mr. Raphael points out.
Thiruvilwamala grama panchayat was the first in the State to experiment with Mazhapolima.
Thrissur district had one groundwater over-exploited block (Kodungalloor) and four other semi critical zones (Mathilakam, Mala, Thalikulam and Ollukkara blocks) as per the Central Groundwater Board parameters when the project was launched.
After implementing Mazhapolima, Kodungalloor improved to the status of critical block from over-exploited block. Its success in Thrissur prompted the government to extend the Mazhapolima project to all districts in the State. The government provides subsidy to implement the system. It has been taken under the Integrated Water Shed Development Programme and the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme.
Mazhapolima won the best NGO award for rainwater harvesting at the UNESCO-sponsored Water Digest Award during 2010-11. The World Water Council had recognised Mazhapolima as an outstanding water showcase in the 7th World Water Forum held at Deague, South Korea, in 2015.
