On the World Water Day, people of Kerala are discussing the indiscriminate exploitation of groundwater here. If the study by the Ground Water Department is to be believed then we could be in for trouble.

Excessive groundwater exploitation is rampant in various places of Kerala, especially in Kochi and its suburbs.

Despite having 44 rivers and an average of 3,000 mm of rain a year, water has become one of the major issues in the state.

According to a report tabled in the Assembly by former Water Resources Minister TM Jacob, groundwater had been over-exploited in three blocks, one each at Kasaragode, Kodugallore and Chirayinkizh.

The groundwater situation was critical in seven blocks and semi-critical in five blocks, the report said.

Natural water resources are not increasing in proportion to the increase in population, leading to shortage in water availability.

According to the Economic Review 2004, the amount of utilisable water from the rainfall in the state is 77.35 billion cubic metres and 40 percentage of this water will flow to the sea. "The remaining 42 billion cubic meter water is used by the whole state. The amount of water needed by the state is 49.70 cubic metres," the report said.

The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management had conducted a study on the projected availability of water incoming years. This study reveals that by 2050 all other districts of Kerala except Kasargod and Idukki will face acute water shortage. The condition will be more terrible if the exploitation of the nature continues in the current pace, experts feel.

However, the problem of water is not exclusive to rural or agriculture sectors.

The cities and towns have been badly hit by ground-water depletion. The authorities have failed to tackle the problem of water scarcity even in the metro cities. The acute water shortage in Kochi and neighbouring places is the best example of authorities inefficiency.

For the last couple of years, the island villages and the western Kochi areas have been reeling under acute water scarcity.

The locals have tried a slew of methods to press authorities into action. They have organised a series of protest marches, demonstrations and hunger strikes, but all in vain. The residents have still to wait for hours to get a pot of water.

The residents of Edakochi picketed the Water Authority Office on Tuesday.

"Like any other North Indian states, Kerala has been struck by severe drought. Damage to the agricultural sector, drought and suicide by farmers in Waynad are the result of the environmental degradation," feels environmentalist and social activist CR Neelakandan.

Strict regulation on exploitation of groundwater from open wells as well as bore-wells is needed, he said.

"Only people's movements can resist such environmental degradation. Plachimada is a metaphor for such local resistance", he added.

The state had lost the conventional water preservation system through exploitation of natural water sources and unscientific developments.

The forests, paddy fields, rivers and quarries were good reservoirs of water, but all these are getting diminished through sand mining, demolition of hills, farm lands and deforestation.