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Rainfed Kerala takes to rainwater harvesting
PM News Bureau
Kerala is one of the states that receive the highest rainfall in the country. Yet, certain parts of the state face acute drinking water shortage for more than six months a year. The problem is aggravated in many parts due to flawed agricultural practices and dumping of garbage. Now the state has found a solution to this problem - rainwater harvesting. For example, Kuttanadu, a village in Kerala, has adopted this cost-effective method of storing water and nearly 1,000 families in the village have overcome water shortage. The Kuttanadu Development Organisation, which is responsible for making this concept popular, has already constructed 250 tanks for collecting rainwater.
Even the state government has woken up to the reality of water problem and is convinced that rainwater harvesting is the simplest and the cheapest solution to the problem. In future, the government proposes to undertake rainwater harvesting as a major project with the participation of the public, local bodies and voluntary organisations to meet drinking water shortage during drought.
Further, the Kannur-based Regional Agro Industrial Development Cooperative of Kerala Ltd has decided to undertake rainwater harvesting projects on a turnkey basis. Raidco, a cooperative engaged in the manufacture of agricultural machinery, has already constructed scores of rainwater harvesting projects in Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode and Malappuram districts. The company has also ventured into making components required for a rainwater harvesting system like silpaulin sheets for storage tanks and ferro cement tanks.
Rainfed Kerala takes to rainwater harvesting
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