The Haritha Keralam Mission is set to present the first water budget in the State. Officials said the initiative, in association with local bodies, was the first in the country itself. On a trial basis, the water budget will be presented in one block panchayat in each of the 14 districts.
Roshy Augustine, Minister of Water Resources, told The Hindu that the new initiative aimed at making the public aware of the availability of water in various parts of the State. “In summer, people used to dig wells in dry riverbeds or streams. Such sources are not available now. In the rainy season, we have excess rain and in summer, we face serious water scarcity,” said Mr. Augustine.
Groundwater in a region
“The water budget will show the level of the groundwater and water sources in a region. The data will be handed over to the local bodies concerned. Depending on the data, new water resources, such as a new water project or even a borewell, can be made available,” said Mr. Augustine.
Abraham Koshi, State assistant coordinator, Haritha Keralam Mission, said that in the first phase, 84 panchayats were included in the project. “In Idukki district, the Idukki block panchayat was selected for the project. The water availability will be measured in the water year (June 1 to May 31). Each month will be divided into 10-day units and the availability and usage of water in the panchayat will be measured,” said Mr. Koshi.
Water import, export
He added that in March, the water availability would be less, and the usage, high. In July, the availability would be high, and use would be significantly less. “The water resources in each panchayat, including water-related projects, will be counted as water import and if water flows from one panchayat to another it will be counted as water export,” said Mr. Koshi.
Officials said the water budget would be presented in the select blocks on World Water Day on March 22. “In addition, the amount of water used for farming, including paddy cultivation, will be assessed. If there is water availability, farming will be extended to new areas,” said Mr. Koshi.
Local bodies are implementing the water budget project in association with the Nava Keralam action plan, Haritha Keralam Mission, and the Centre for Water Resources Department and Management (CWRDM). Officials said that the project was included as part of the 100-day programme of the State government.
