The Hindu : Kerala News : Action plan for Bharathapuzha

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 29, 2004

Kerala

Kerala

Action plan for Bharathapuzha

By Our Staff Reporter

PALAKKAD, APRIL 28. A Rs. 560-crore Bharathapuzha Action Plan was submitted to the State Government by the executive engineer of the Water Resources Department, Chitturpuzha, V. K. Mahanudevan, to regenerate the second biggest river in Kerala, that got dried up bringing the acute drinking water problem in Palakkad, Thrissur and Malappuram districts.

The action plan claimed as "practical steps to solve water problems in Palakkad district'' said that "our main problem is scarcity of water during the dry season. Water sources are drying very fast - immediately after the monsoon. The natural reason is, of course, the steepness of our geographical

terrain. By this steepness, the water getting through monsoons is rapidly reaching the Arabian Sea. The water from the eastern boundary will reach the sea within 20 hours during the heavy rainfall and within 50 hours during the normal flow and will take only 150 to 200 hours even during the summer flow.''

The report said that "the main problems and reasons of water scarcity in Palakkad" are scarcity of water during the non-monsoon period, contamination of water and unprotected and non-

delineated water resources. And there is no programme to mitigate this Flood-Drought-Flood syndrome in a long perspective. It said that the geographical area of Palakkad district is

covered with the parts of four river basins. They are Bharathapuzha, Chalakudypuzha, Bhavani and Kadalundipuzha basins.

More than 80 per cent area of the district is covered with the Bharathapuzha basin and 12 to 13 per cent with the Bhavani basin and the balance area covered with Chalakudy and Kadalundi basins.

The report listed the important anthropogenic reasons for the water scarcity as sand-mining, increase in population, excessive exploitation of water resources, bio-mass dissolution of soil, change of life style, absence of water utilisation strategy, absence of water conservation programme, decrease in high land vegetation, inter-State water relation, wrong land use pattern and wrong water utilisation methods.

The report called for the constitution of Bharathapuzha Basin Authority. It is too late to form a comprehensive body to manage the river system and the activities connected to it. For sustainable

development, all the natural resources such as water, soil, biomass etc., should be conserved and utilised with a holistic-vision. All the sectors needed should be integrated to achieve

such a comprehensive organisation, the report said.

It divided Bharathapuzha according to its catchment of tributaries for revival. They are Chitturpuzha, Gayathripuzha, Kalpathypuzha and Thoothapuzha. Each division will have a

tributary committee.

The action plan wanted to conserve water wherever possible. "Without a reserve of any resource, nobody can overcome a scarce-situation for that resource. In the rainy-season, there is water, but

in non-monsoon period, we are not having even the minimum required quantity. Thus along with the river storages, other types of storages like small dams in suitable locations, percolation tanks, dikes are also necessary. Beyond all these, we can store the water in the identified aquifer by artificial recharging through recharge wells.''

The action plan suggested the construction of 453 check-dams in Bharathapuzha and its four main tributaries at an estimated cost of Rs.157.50 crores. It suggested 30 check-dams in Chitturpuzha, 60 in Gayathripuzha, 10 in Kalpathypuzha, 50 in Thoothapuzha and 50 in Kunthipuzha.

Another 600 check-dams across the major stream of Bharathapuzha is also suggested.

The action plan suggested the construction of 11 regulators costing Rs.137.50 crores. An amount of Rs.41 crores is required for the construction of 20 to 25 mini dams and reservoirs, widening of the Moolathara Left Bank Canal, Palakappandy diversion scheme, afforestation of river side and catchment area treatment etc.

The action plan report said that more than 4,000 million cubic-metre water is flowing to Arabian Sea from Bharathapuzha and the total quantity of water stored in all the seven reservoirs of the

basin is less that 10 per cent of this quantity.

Mr. Mahanudevan said that the Bharathapuzha Action Plan would cost Rs.560 crores.

Thus to solve the water problem of the district, a comprehensive and integrated scheme like the Bharathapuzha Action Plan should be implemented on war footing, it is felt.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Kerala