By Vinod Nedumudy
While elders turn their back on the crucial issue of conserving water,
children show the way to larger society. The state of Kerala in India, which is
called the God’s Own Country for its picturesque landscape, is facing one of
the severest droughts in its history with the last monsoon season letting it
down giving sparse rains. Yet, the state witnesses indifferent attitude from
responsible authorities towards water conservation while young children come
out to spread the message of keeping pristine water sources intact. Two key
events took place in March second week which highlighted this ahead of the
World Water Day.
The two contrasting attitudes were exposed in Kochi, the business
capital of Kerala. On the one hand the higher-ups at Cochin Port Trust, the
maritime gateway to Peninsular India, which is headquartered at the picturesque
Willingdon Island in Kochi, resorted to filling up a large rainwater harvesting
unit built by the civic body Kochi Corporation on the island by spending Indian
Rupees 7 lakh, it was reported in the local media.
The rain water harvesting unit had a length of 15 metre and a width of
12 metre and was in the shape of a pond. It was created to cater to the
drinking water needs of those in the area. Interestingly the Kochi Corporation
councilor from the area was reported as saying that the project was not opposed
by the CPT authorities when it was launched. But they later came out to
forcibly fill the pond. This resulted not only in the loss of Rs 7 lakh to the
exchequer but also a precious source for drinking water to the city. Despite
protests from the councilor and several organizations, the CPT, a central
government supported body, is sticking to its posture.
However, giving enough signs that all hopes are not lost, over 20
students of Kuttamassery Government High School, near Aluva, some 17 km from
Kochi city, who were led by four teachers and the Parent-Teacher Association
president and also environmentalist Prof S Seetharaman, came out with a long
art procession from the school on March 9 through the heart of the city
covering more than 25 kilometres to spread the message of conserving drinking
water sources.
Their approach was to attract the public and create awareness on the
crucial situation of scarcity of drinking water in the once rain rich Kerala
state. Through ‘Ottam Thullal’ (a traditional art form) a few of them
performed, they highlighted how most of the drinking water sources are polluted
by the public, industries, local bodies etc. They also depicted how the major
drinking water source of the city, the Periyar river, has how been polluted.
The students described that most of the wet lands, mangroves, rivulet,
paddy fields, small hills which are repositories of water has been mercilessly
destroyed nowadays in the name of development.
They emphasized that harvesting of rain water must be a practice to
combat scarcity of water. The alarming mosquito menace also was highlighted.
