Kozhikode drinking water projects to be reviewed ahead of summer

A district-level meeting of elected representatives and local body heads will be convened in Kozhikode shortly to review drinking water supply schemes and explore the revival of defunct minor irrigation projects ahead of the coming summer.

The initiative follows instructions from the State government to address mounting public complaints about drinking water shortages in various Assembly constituencies. Officials of the Water Resources department will coordinate the meeting, at which the status of ongoing schemes, pending works and local requirements will be examined. A time-bound action plan is expected to be drawn up to address the concerns.

According to officials, constituency-level meetings will also be convened by the respective MLAs, with local body heads invited to present their demands and identify projects requiring urgent intervention. Kerala Water Authority engineers will be asked to assess the feasibility of completing pending schemes, particularly in areas experiencing recurring water shortages.

The proposed exercise comes amid complaints from several grama panchayats about inadequate efforts to revive defunct local drinking water schemes and increasing dependence on tanker-based distribution. Environmentalists and leaders of farmers’ organisations point out that at least two small-scale projects with the potential for revival remain neglected in more than 70 panchayats in the district.

Kayanna is among several grama panchayats in the district facing acute water scarcity, with residents seeking concrete intervention from the local administration for several years. Similar concerns have been reported from Thiruvambady, Kodenchery, Kattippara, Puthuppady, Koodaranji, Chakkittappara, Kizhakkoth, Kavilumpara, Kayakkodi, Velam, and Narippatta.

Residents argue that greater attention should be given to restoring defunct schemes instead of relying predominantly on tanker-based supply, which entails recurring expenditure. They maintain that reviving existing infrastructure and developing sustainable local water sources would offer a more lasting solution to summer shortages. Allegations that residents raising such concerns are being sidelined have also emerged from some local bodies.

The degradation of small water bodies and natural drainage channels has compounded the problem. The absence of systematic mapping and conservation measures has left several streams and rivulets vulnerable to waste dumping and pollution, with some already having dried up. Many of these water bodies are closely linked to local drinking water sources.

A digital mapping initiative covering rural streams and rivulets, undertaken with the support of the Haritha Keralam Mission, is expected to strengthen water conservation efforts and identify pollution threats. Kunnamangalam block panchayat was included in the first phase, but the exercise is yet to cover several other local bodies in the district.

Saline water intrusion is another concern, particularly in coastal areas. Several drinking water pipeline projects in parts of Vadakara and Koyilandy are also awaiting completion. Representatives of various coastal residents’ forums hope that the proposed district- and constituency-level reviews will bring these region-specific concerns to the attention of the authorities and help identify measures that can be implemented before the onset of peak summer.