In a first, Kerala adopts Water Budget to tackle problem of summer water shortage

An abundance of rivers, streams, backwaters and a good amount of rainfall contribute to the lush greenery in Kerala, many parts of which yet face acute water scarcity when it comes to the summers. And this has led to the state adopting a Water Budget — the first of its kind in the country. The details of the first phase of the Water Budget in the state covering 94 grama panchayats in 15 block panchayats were unveiled by Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan.

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It would help the state ascertain the demand and supply of the precious liquid resource and apportion it accordingly, as the problem was not one of availability, but of management. The volunteers, resource persons, and technical committee members have considered all the water sources in each panchayat, including rainfall, wetlands, canals, and other water bodies, and also calculated the demand from humans and animals, agriculture, and industries.

The water budget would be prepared by a committee of officials from the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management and the State Water Resources Department as well as various experts. Regarding the rehabilitation of irrigation networks in the Western Ghats, Vijayan said that around 7,290 kilometres of irrigation networks had been rejuvenated under the first and second phase of the project.

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