Date:05/07/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/07/05/stories/2008070556010300.htm

Kerala

‘Support water conservation’

Staff Reporter

Speaker opens rainwater harvesting programme

Thiruvillwamala: People’s support was essential in the initiatives of the government and local bodies for water conservation, said Kerala Assembly Speaker K. Radhakrishnan.

He was inaugurating ‘Mazhappolima’, a community-driven programme, to save rainwater for future use, at Thiruvillwamala, near here, on Friday. The project which aims at filling the 4.5 lakh-odd wells in the district by collecting rainwater through simple, cost-effective methods, would be a model for the country, the Speaker said.

Minimising the impact of draught and reducing expense to supply water to water-stressed areas were the main objectives of the scheme. Speaking after the district-level inauguration of ‘Mazhappolima’, Minister for Revenue K. P. Rajendran said here that the government would provide Rs. 2 crore for the project. The government was also planning to sanction the entire amount, required for the construction of a check dam at Cheruthuruthy over Bharathapuzha, he added.