The government is committed to providing 24-hour piped drinking water to all the people in the State, Minister for Water Resources P.J. Joseph has said.
Inaugurating a seminar on ‘Issues and challenges of drinking water management in Kerala,’ here on Thursday, he said at present only 30 per cent of the population had been covered under various piped water supply schemes.
The seminar was organised jointly by Kerala State Planning Board and Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment.
Steps for conservation
For augmenting drinking water supply, the government has taken a number of steps to conserve and preserve water sources.
In the last four years, the government has constructed more than 400 check-dams in the State. More check-dams would be built on rivers to preserve drinking water sources. Schemes had been drawn up to renovate 699 ponds, Mr. Joseph said.
Ponds restored
As many as 146 ponds had been restored already.
Rainwater harvesting facility had been provided in around 1,200 schools and more would be added in the coming years, he said.
Others who spoke included Vice Chairman of State Planning Board K.M. Chandrasekhar; Executive Vice President of Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment Suresh Das; Economic advisor, Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Government of India, A.K. Goutam; Member, Planning Board, G. Vijayaraghavan; and Managing Director, Kerala Water Authority, Ajit Patil.
