Campuses in district focus on water conservation

Cusat setting up pond; Sanskrit varsity to protect surface water

The rainwater harvesting unit at Ernakulam Maharaja's College, which has been lying idle for long owing to poor maintenance.

The deepening water crisis has prompted campuses in Ernakulam to focus on water conservation programmes and continue their vigil against misuse of water.

“We are setting up a pond that would help meet the water needs on the campus. A treatment plant would also come up as part of the project. In the first phase, the water would be used for non-drinking purposes,” said J. Letha, Vice Chancellor, Cochin University of Science and Technology.

The expertise of faculty members in various departments would be utilised while establishing the treatment plant. Dr. Letha said the varsity was also considering rainwater harvesting schemes.

The Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit is ready with a ₹50-lakh proposal to protect surface water on the campus at Kalady near here. Registrar T.P. Raveendran said the focus was on recharging ground water, especially after four of the nine borewells went dry recently. “Funds under the Centre’s Rashtriya Uchchatar Shiksha Abhiyan will be used for the water conservation project,” he said.

Thomas Mathew, Principal of Union Christian College in Aluva, said that well water was sufficient to address the water needs on the campus. “We also have a two-lakh capacity rainwater storage facility, which is mainly used for secondary purposes,” he said.

Maharaja’s College depends on the supply through the Kochi Corporation’s water lines to meet its drinking water needs. “Water from a well is used for women’s toilet. Water from the main line of the corporation is taken to the storage tank,” said Liyaquath Ali, academic coordinator.

However, the rainwater harvesting project, which was launched amidst fanfare way back in 2002, remains defunct. Launched utilising the funds provided by renowned singer K.J. Yesudas under the Cochin Water Mission project, the rainwater harvesting scheme had failed to take off as expected owing to poor maintenance.

The college is now planning to implement a ₹10-lakh proposal to improve the distribution network and storage facilities. The Public Works Department will execute the work that would improve the water supply situation on the campus.