Author: M.S. Menon
Publication: The Hindu
Date: June 1, 2004
URL: http://www.hindu.com/op/2004/06/01/stories/2004060100621500.htm
The water rich State with an average
annual precipitation of more than 3000 mm, was reeling under water scarcity
conditions till recently. Many parts of this "God's own country" were facing
drought and the situation was getting further grim with falling groundwater
levels, shrinking wet lands, rivers running dry and frustrated farmers
committing suicide to escape debt traps. When the summer of discontent
reached its zenith, authorities woke up and rushed to Delhi for drought
relief and got involved in taking action for getting further relief. But
the action plan for development and management of water never found a place
in their agenda except in some seminars and TV shows. For, they knew that
by June or latest by July, the water shortage would be forgotten by the
people as problems of floods would arise by then.
The situation has not developed
overnight - every one knew it was coming since the signs of impending shortage
had long been evident.
Mistaken belief
The reasons are not far to seek.
It is the outcome of the mistaken belief that water scarcity can never
occur in this water endowed land; it is the result of missed opportunities
in harnessing the bountiful monsoon flows the State receives over a fairly
long period every year; and it is the culmination of years of mismanagement
of this precious resource.
The estimated average annual stream
flow in the State is about 60 billion cubic metres (bcm), contributed by
more than 40 west flowing rivers and a few east flowing rivers. Originating
from the eastern highlands, the Western Ghats, most of these rivers traversing
through the mid plains and lowlands of the coastal area empty their flows
into the Lakshadweep sea (Arabian Sea). The river basins in Kerala are
uniquely placed since they get contribution from both the Southwest monsoon
(June to September) and the Northeast monsoon (October to December). About
80 per cent of the annual rainfall occurs during these months. Against
such a background, normally there cannot be any convincing reason for scarcity
to occur nor any compelling logic for droughts to stalk the countryside.
But the shocking truth is that such a situation has happened since the
authorities concerned had no time to consider the issues involved and to
take remedial actions.
Politicians were busy organising
"hartals" most of the days in a year to protest against the actions of
the establishment and naturally water issues never got their priority;
the intellectuals preferred to sermonise on aspects which got them media
attention and did not find the topic of water interesting; and the stakeholders
took it for granted that Kerala would never experience any water shortage.
Due to this indifference, hardly about 8 bcm of the freshwater flows could
be stored in the State so far, the balance going waste to the sea during
the monsoons.
A decade ago, the Centre for Water
Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode, in its "Water
Atlas of Kerala," had brought out the water availability in these rivers
and also the irrigation, and other requirements up to 2021. Almost 10 years
since, the available water utilisation data on major rivers such as the
Periyar and the Bharatapuzha indicate that more than 60 per cent waters
have gone to the sea from these rivers. Obviously, no major and medium
storages have been constructed during this period to detain the monsoon
flows.
The environmental groups and many
others have been vociferous against large dams and wanted only small local
water harvesting structures to harness the monsoon flows. However, a rough
study of the storage requirements indicates that even to hold half of the
available monsoon flows (i.e. about 30 bcm), at least a million tanks would
have to be in position. But, when the rains fail, these tanks submerging
about two million hectares would also dry up, negating the very purpose
for which they are built. Hence a combination of major, medium and minor
storages have to be further constructed in the State to utilise the available
monsoon flows.
Since no single approach to mitigate
the water scarcity can be successful if taken up on an ad hoc basis in
exclusion of the others for getting short-term benefits, what is required
is an integrated water resources development and management (IWRDM) approach.
In such an approach, both the concerns of supply management and demand
management will be addressed. All concerned will be made aware of the roles
to be played by them - the decision makers, the water professionals, the
environmental activists and the user groups - to ensure the upkeep of quality
and optimal utilisation of the waters.
The core problem to meet the human
needs of water necessitates interference with landscape and such actions
will generally have unintended ecological consequences. Humans being an
evident part of the eco-system, the realisation has to come that changes
and disturbances are unavoidable and are part of the natural and human
dominated landscapes and social developments. This fact has to be accepted
since the ability to store the monsoon flows and even out the release over
the year would decide the occurrence of devastating floods and droughts,
a manageable year-round supply or shortage, and adequate aquifer replenishment
or depleted groundwater reservoirs. The authorities have to recognise water's
role as an engine for development and create an enabling environment for
this so that this water endowed State would be able to optimally use its
water resources instead of wasting its abundant monsoon flows.
M.S. Menon
Former Chief Engineer, CWC
