Saurashtra and Kutch regions parched, people battling odds to get even a pot of drinking water

Narendra Modi may be on a campaign selling his model of governance but Gujarat is reeling under severe drought that has left Saurashtra and Kutch regions parched and people battling odds to get even a pot of drinking water. An estimated 10 to 15 per cent of the cash crops may have failed because of the drought this year that has come on the back of 11 normal monsoons.

It is “water politics” in Gujarat now.

With scorching summer pushing Kerala to unprecedented drought, political parties on Wednesday voiced concern in the state assembly over the acute water and power crisis even as the Government said it has already taken all possible measures to tackle the “grim situation.”

After a three-hour debate on an adjournment motion by opposition LDF, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said Rs. 159 crore had already been sanctioned to take urgent measures as the government acted well in advance anticipating the trying times in store.

State Authority, Affected People Not Consulted

Mumbai: Deputy chief minister Ajit Pawar might have apologized for his callous “urinating-in-the-dam” statement that belittled the tragedy of Maharashtra’s farmers facing the worst drought in decades. But his apathy for them predates the blunder by years.
Between 2003 and 2011, as the water resources minister and then finance minister, Pawar chaired or partook in a high-powered committee that diverted almost 2,000 million cubic metre (mcm) of water meant for irrigation to industries.

Mumbai: Even as politicians are busy criticizing Ajit Pawar’s jeering comment on drought, water stocks in all the dams in Marathwada touched the lowest level ever on Tuesday.

Going by the information released by the water resources department on Tuesday, stock in all the dams in the entire Marathwada region stood at 8% of the total count, compared to 18% the same day last year and 42% the year before that.

Aimed at making Kannur water-rich district in four years

The Kannur Water Conservation Society (KWCS) will launch long-term groundwater recharge activities in view of the depletion in groundwater level and contamination of water resources in the district that raise concerns about a severe drought situation. The society, which was established in 1995 and is now chaired by District Collector Rathan Kelkar, has chalked out a comprehensive water conservation scheme to be implemented in the district to make Kannur a water resources-rich district over the next four years.

Eleven borewells are being sunk in different parts of Golden Rock zone of the Tiruchirapalli City Corporation as part of the drought-relief work in the city, according to Mayor A. Jaya.

The corporation is sinking about 50 borewells with hand pumps and 10 others with power pumps in different parts of the city under funds sanctioned by the government for drought relief.

The Kerala River Protection Council has called upon K. Kasturirangan, chairman of the high-level working group on Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), not to dilute the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil committee.

It claims the report marks the beginning of a totally different planning process involving the local people as envisaged in the Panchayati Raj system.
In a letter to Dr. Kasturirangan, council vice-president V.N. Gopinatha Pillai and environmentalist Thomas P. Thomas alleged that no government had given the required attention to the deteriorating environmental conditions of the Western Ghats.

The Centre today formally released the contentious National Water Policy Document-2012 by presenting its first copy to President Pranab Mukherjee who inaugurated India Water Week with a call to make judicious use of the precious natural resource.

“Efficient water management: Challenges and opportunities” is the theme of the five-day event. The President underlined the need to find ways to improve management of water resources in the face of increasing occurrence of droughts and floods. The available water must be managed judiciously to meet the twin burden of population growth and economic development, the President said. Water management should get the top priority, he added.

MALAPPURAM: As the severe drought due to the shortage of rainfall has resulted in substantial crop loss and drinking water shortage in various parts of Malappuram district, the authorities have dec