Water Scarcity

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 WATER SCARCITY IN KOCHI

 

Water could be a disabler to the growth of Kochi if self-reliance is not achieved. The recent growth of Kochi as an economic hub and its inclusion in the Smart Cities project is anticipated to attract additional migrating populations from different parts of the country. A consequence of such developments will be the increased demand for water to meet the basic needs of a growing population. These issues pose a real threat to the urban water security of Kochi. Some of these issues include the increasing gap between the demand and supply of water, water loss in the distribution network, groundwater depletion, groundwater contamination due to unsafe sanitation and unscientific solid waste management, salinity intrusion to inland area decrease in the flow of the Periyar river, localized floods due to improper stormwater management, etc

Water need and water availability are not proportional to the rise in population. Changing lifestyle necessitates more water. Availability of reliable water sharply decreases with population rise because of the degradation of resources. There are thousands of people traveling daily to the city in the daytime for jobs from the nearby area and their water use and need are not accounted for. At present, the total water demand of the city is 400 MLD that is 326 MLD for domestic and agricultural sectors, and 74 MLD for industrial use. Even with special augmentation schemes and different projects city still faces a shortage of 120 MLD. The situation can be improved after the implementation of the proposed Kochi Metro water supply project and modification of exiting projects. Response from the State Water Authority to public water issues or technical failure in supply is very slow and the inhabitants on certain occasions have to wait for hours and days to get water. The water purification system and delivery pipes are old and without any modifications.


About 95% of households in Kochi depend on the Periyar river for water which is distributed after treatment by Kerala Water Authority from Aluva. There has been a considerable reduction in the run-off of Periyar in the last few decades. Due to the following reasons:

·        construction of reservoirs, inter-basin transfers, watershed modifications

·        variability in rainfall characteristics.

·        deforestation

·        removal of topsoil affecting the groundwater recharge and summer run-off

·        mudflow in the river during pre-monsoon months.

·        salinity intrusion

·        roads and paving in the city increase run-off and reduce infiltration

Unexpected power failure always affects pumping and contributes to the water crisis. Daily water supply through the public delivery system in the city is only half of the drinking water requirement. Recent studies show that out of the 635Km of pipelines, 190Km is very old and needs immediate replacement. An additional 215Km is required for meeting the present demands. About 34% of the population has domestic water connections and the remaining depends on public taps. Many houses have wells attached to them, but the water is contaminated with excessive biological pollutants. 

A recent analysis of the pipe water in the city shows that occasionally the quality is far below safety level. The freshwater pipes run through sewerages and highly unsafe areas and when the pipes break, wastewater enters the pipes, resulting in serious health problems. Water-borne and vector-borne diseases have become common. Though the city has so many inter-connected canals, high intensity of rainfall and unscientific design of sewage system and roads block the water, resulting in flash floods.
In addition to the demands of the rising population, water consumption in the city has shot up by a huge margin with the rise in development projects and construction activities in the city and its suburbs in the last few decades. As there is no proportionate increase in the supply, this leads to an acute drinking water shortage. In addition to all are the theft and misuse of water in the inner parts of the city. Water scarcity is severe in West Kochi and the northern islands. Supply here is much below the requirements of 15 MLD (million liters per day).

 

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