The call for alternative methods to solve the water crisis in Ernakulam is growing loud.

Conservationists, experts and social activists have urged the policy makers to come up with a vision plan that would help preserve water sources and evolve effective mechanisms to reuse and recycle water.

Suggesting that a campaign could be launched to spread the message of checking the misuse of drinking water, V.N. Sivasankara Pillai, former Director of the School of Environmental Studies at the Cochin University of Science and Technology, said the use of freshwater could be limited to meet the drinking needs while recycled water could be used for industrial and irrigation purposes.

“Kochi has every reason to be concerned about how it would meet the increasing requirement for water. Periyar and Moovattupuzha rivers would not be able to meet the growing demand. We will have to evolve a design that could focus on reusing water and recharging water resources by checking indiscriminate sand mining and reclamation of wetlands,” he said.

Rainwater harvesting

C.R. Neelakantan, social activist, blamed the government and the bureaucracy for not supporting rainwater harvesting projects in the district. “Most of these projects, which were launched amidst much fanfare, have turned into breeding grounds for mosquitoes. How could we speak of development and big-ticket projects, when the region lacks adequate drinking water,” he asked.

S. Sitaraman, noted environmentalist, recommended involving the school students and the youth in Ernakulam in a sustained campaign highlighting the message of water conservation. “The present water resources are under threat from massive encroachment and human interference.

“We have to protect water resources and use water wisely to save it for the future generations,” he said.

District Collector M.G. Rajamanickam said that initiatives like the ‘EnteKulam’ project would help not only in improving the quality of water resources in the district but also in involving local communities in conservation projects.

The local bodies could play a key role by undertaking regular maintenance of the cleaned-up ponds, the Collector said.