THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Southwest monsoon 2018 is less than three months away and the Thiruvananthapuram district panchayat is ready to ‘harvest’ it. Believe it or not, 48,077 rain pits have been dug across the district to ensure that the monsoon bounty does not get washed away into the sea, according to the district authorities. Each pit is one metre in length and width and 80 centimetres deep. According to district panchayat president V K Madhu, 1,859 ponds have been freshly dug in public and privately-held farm lands. The ponds are 15 metres long, ten metres wide and three metres deep.
In addition to this, the district has also witnessed a hectic campaign to ensure that the drainage systems are ready by the monsoons. In all, 3398 km of drains and small and big canals have been renovated ahead of the monsoon, District Collector K Vasuki said. As many as 3,891 drains and small and big canals have been renovated, she said. In 41 big and small canals, the administration has constructed 11,946 check-dams. As many as a 100 privately-held ponds and 332 public ponds were renovated and 2,048 wells were newly dug. 1,139 wells were recharged.
The aim is to harvest a maximum amount of rainfall and ensure maximum groundwater recharge during the monsoon months, Vasuki said. The district panchayat president also called for public support for the water conservation measures and urged households to introduce rainwater harvesting and conservation systems. Last year, a weak monsoon had left the capital parched after water levels in the Peppara dam, the chief source of drinking water for the capital city, fell alarmingly.
The Kerala Water Authority had launched frantic measures for alternate supply from the Neyyar reservoir. Having learnt a hard lesson, the district administration and the district panchayat had launched campaigns like ‘Jalasamriddhi’ as part of the preparation for summer.
20 saplings developed for world environment day
Over 52,000 trees have been planted on roadsides in the district under the MGNREGS, the district administration said on Tuesday. Twenty lakh saplings - jack fruit, mango, guava, rambutan and tamarind - have been developed by 554 nurseries in the district for planting during World Environment Day celebrations, MGNREGS programme coordinator K Chandrasekharan Nair said. In all, 1.96 lakh seedlings also have been produced, he said.
Facts and figures
48,077 rain pits dug across T’Puram district to ensure that the monsoon bounty does not get washed away into the sea
1,859 ponds have been freshly dug in public and privately-held farm lands. The ponds are 15 metres long, ten metres wide and three metres deep
2,048 wells were newly dug.freshly dug in public and privately-held farm lands. The ponds