The district panchayat will focus on streamlining the watershed programme as there is a severe shortage of water being experienced especially in the high ranges during the summer season.
District panchayat president M. T. Thomas told The Hindu on Saturday that watershed programmes have to be strengthened and streamlined without damaging the environment as the Western Ghats has received a world heritage status. Utmost care should be taken in implementing the programme, he said adding that the district planning office will restructure the programme so as to suit the environmental condition of the area. Being monsoon the key season for any water conservation step, it have to be restructured without time lag, he said. In the hilly areas, rain water flows down in the absence of natural absorption and preservation by the soil. The aim of the watershed programme is to conserve the water being wasted during the monsoon season without interfering with its natural flow, he said.
Mr Thomas said that of the Rs. 15 crore allotted for the water shed programmes in the district; only Rs. 7 crore could be used for it. It will be brought to the attention of the Chief Minister on the need for implementation of the watershed programmes, taking care of the issues raised by the Madhav Gadgil report.
The watershed programme should be implemented with a long vision and it should be connected to the livelihood of the people rather than having an aim for material accumulation.
The watershed programmes will be implemented with support from all sections of society and the watershed committees needed to be strengthened. He said that the aim of such programmes is to give impetus to the natural wealth without damaging environment. A campaign needed to be taken up for plans on water preservation, rather than water storage, to be effectively implemented.
He said that the Gram Panchyats to be considered for watershed programmes are those that lie above 600 meters of the main sea level. And except the Thodupuzha municipality, all the Gram Panchayat in the district is eligible under the criteria. Mr Thomas said that in the development projects under the Western Ghats Development Plan, 80 percent of the project expenses are incurred as government grant and the rest has to be shared on an equal basis by the consumer and the local body. A major chunk of the government grant is borne by the central government. He said that 15 percent of the total amount for the State is for Idukki and it is the highest amount being allotted for a district. While effectively utilising the amount, the watershed programmes should be implemented with a perspective for environmental preservation, he said.
Source:The Hindu,July 14, 2012