· Judicious use of groundwater emphasised

· Pollution of water sources has to be stopped

CHENNAI: A sustained effort by the public and a political will to improve the status of water sources alone will help improve water availability, say experts. On World Water Day, the theme of which was `Water and Culture,' experts noted that while cities might survive, agriculture would suffer unless efforts were made to save our water sources.

Of the numerous temples in the city, only a few have received attention. Some organisations have collected money and filled water tanks in the hope that it would help recharge the groundwater in the area.

But the only way the groundwater table would be recharged was by judicious use of groundwater. Sekhar Raghavan, director of Rain Centre in Mandavelipakkam, recalled, "I abandoned my well but six years of rainwater harvesting has recharged the well."

Though individually people do not treat a water source with disrespect, people have collectively contributed to pollution of water sources. S. Janakarajan, a professor at the Madras Institute of Development Studies, says people understood the need for rivers that aided in agriculture, besides being needed in day-to-day life, but they had not understood the effects of polluting the river with activities such as sand mining and encroaching on the riverbed.

Palar pollution

Roughly one crore people depend on the Palar, which is linked to the Araniyar and Kosasthalaiyar rivers. People in Chennai, Vellore and Chengalpet are affected by the damage to the river by tanneries and municipalities and small towns that dump sewage. "The policy makers, the government, should be held responsible. There are strong environment protection laws.

Mere technology-driven mega projects will not help if you don't take into confidence the civil society. A very weak law enforcement and monitoring mechanism are responsible for ruining the Palar river," Dr. Janakarajan says. His research work includes studies on river basins such as Palar, Vaigai and Tamiraparani.

European experience

Rivers in Europe suffered the same fate due to industrialisation over a century ago, but fear of losing a precious resource resulted in cleaning them up. Dr. Janakarajan suggests roping in experts help improve the water sources.

"The government has been spending a lot of money to clean up rivers but without putting pressure on polluters, cleaning is of no use."

A senior professor at a technical university in the city called for people/user participation.

"We need committed people. Tamil Nadu is a semi-arid region. In rural areas, only if tanks fill up will agriculture continue," he says.