Faced with a growing monsoon rainfall deficit, the government has warned of parched days ahead and exhorted the public to conserve the available water resources.
An official press note quoting Minister for Water Resources Mathew T. Thomas said the monsoon rainfall recorded in Kerala this year was lower than that in 2016. Citing figures released by the India Meteorology Department, he said the State had registered a rainfall deficit of 30.26% during the first phase of the southwest monsoon till July end. The deficit shot up from 11% in June to 48% in July. In contrast, the rainfall deficit in 2016 was 8% in June and 39% in July.
The situation, the press note said, had resulted in lower water level in the reservoirs. This could lead to a water crisis during the summer months. The Minister held discussions with officials of the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, on the steps to be taken to tackle the crisis.
Mr. Thomas exhorted citizens to understand the gravity of the situation and take steps to reduce wastage of water and conserve the available resources.
He called for a campaign by local bodies and NGOs to encourage roofwater harvesting and construction of rainwater percolation pits.
The Minister said the emerging situation called for a new water culture in the State.
Last year, Kerala had struggled to cope with drought conditions following the failure of two consecutive monsoons.
While the southwest monsoon period from June 1 to September 30 left the State with a deficit of 34%, the situation worsened during the northeast monsoon period from October to December when the deficit went up to 62%, impacting on agricultural production, hydel power generation and water supply.
