Kattakada constituency has taken proactive steps to ensure a sustainable water supply during the scorching summer months.
On Sunday, a major community-driven initiative was launched as part of the renowned Jalasamrudhi project for water conservation, coinciding with World Wetlands Day. The initiative involves digging percolation pits across residential areas, schools and other public spaces, and the project is set to run until World Water Day on March 22.
Despite a concerning decline in groundwater levels across Thiruvananthapuram district, Kattakada has shown significant improvement. While many block panchayats in the district had recorded ‘semi-critical’ groundwater levels, only Nemom block, which includes Kattakada, has improved its groundwater status to ‘safe.’
A region is considered semi-critical if groundwater extraction is between 70% and 90%, and safe if extraction is below 70%. The Ground Water Estimation Committee, some years ago, had reported a notable improvement in groundwater extraction, from 73.41% in 2013 to 69.30% in 2019.
This success is now being used as a model for a broader, community-driven water conservation effort, especially as the summer months approach.
The initiative’s cornerstone is the construction of percolation pits to capture and store rainwater. These pits will be built in as many locations as possible with the active participation of local residents, schools, workers from various development departments, and community groups such as Kudumbashree. The endeavour aims to ensure every drop of rainwater is absorbed into the soil, thereby preventing run-off and wastage.
Each pit will measure one metre long, 50 centimetres wide and 40 centimetres deep, having a storage capacity of 200 litres. On the first day of the campaign, around 100 pits were constructed across six grama panchayats, capable of storing a total of 20,000 litres of rainwater.
Kattakada MLA I.B. Satheesh said that the constituency has achieved water self-sufficiency and has not experienced a water shortage in the past seven years. “This project is not just about saving water, it is about ensuring that the constituency remains water-rich throughout the year. Such initiatives are bound to have a lasting impact on water conservation,” he said.
