As many as 3,352 kiosks have been set up and water tankers pressed into service to provide drinking water to parched areas in the State, the government informed the Assembly on Thursday.
Revenue Minister E. Chandasekharan and Water Resources Minister Mathew T. Thomas told the House that the district administration and local bodies were doing everything possible to address the drinking water scarcity caused by the severe drought. The government had released sufficient funds for drought mitigation and made arrangements to provide fodder and water to livestock in the worst affected districts.
Replying to the notice for an adjournment motion moved by Adoor Prakash and others on the water scarcity triggered by the drought conditions, Mr. Chandrasekharan said local bodies had been given permissive sanction and allotted funds for water supply. A memorandum seeking funds for drought relief had been submitted to the Centre and a Central team had visited the drought affected areas.
The Central government had increased the mandays under the rural employment guarantee scheme for drought relief works and efforts were on to get more foodgrains to offset the fall in domestic production.
Mr. Chandrasekharan said the wet spell over the last few days had provided some relief to the water stressed areas in central Kerala.
Mr. Thomas said adequate funds had been sanctioned for the Kerala Water Authority to ensure water supply in the affected areas. As many as 235 schemes based on tube wells had been activated, along with minor projects under the Jalanidhi scheme. Water supply schemes for south Kochi and Alappuzha were getting ready for commissioning. He said the government would do everything possible to ensure that the parched areas were supplied with drinking water.
Earlier moving the notice, Mr. Prakash alleged that the government had failed to address the water situation on a war footing. Calling for a review of the drought mitigation efforts, he said many parts of the State were facing acute water scarcity.
Leader of the Opposition Ramesh Chennithala said the government was yet to respond to the enormity of the crisis. Citizens were going without water for days, patients were being discharged from hospitals, dairy farmers were unable to provide fodder and water to cattle, and even temple rituals were affected. Scheduled Caste/Scheduled Tribe colonies and coastal areas were the worst affected, he said.
The Opposition, however, chose not to stage a walkout after the Speaker refused permission to take up the motion for discussion. ‘‘We have faith in the government’s promise to intensify drought relief activities,’’ Mr. Chennithala said.
