At a time everyone is keen to retain and recharge available water resources as part of tiding over the severe water shortage expected in the coming days, Pallichal Panchayat is thinking in the reverse by converting a big pond into a swimming pool.
While a section of the people have come out against converting the pond at Vedivachancoil near the National Highway into a swimming pool stating that it would lead to acute water shortage, the panchayat maintains that it would not add to the water issues.
Though the panchayat claims that it would not have any adverse impact in the future, the people are skeptical. They fear that the area that is already reeling under water shortage will see a worse situation in the future.
Ramachandran (name changed) said that such a move would only add to the woes in the coming days. ‘’Already, the wells in the area have almost dried up. Ponds are a source of recharge. But the authorities, instead of converting it into rechargeable sources, are only trying to kill a pond,’’ he said.
Radhika (name changed), a housewife, also voiced her opinion against the move. ‘’The panchayat should have retained the pond. Instead of converting it into a swimming pool, the authorities should have tried to renovate it, which could have relieved the water crisis in the area.’’ she said.
DYFI Pallichal local committee president R S Prasanth also said that the move was going to have adverse impact on the environment. ‘’The people would be deprived of water in the coming days. We will strongly oppose such a move. What the people need is water and not a swimming pool,’’ he said.
However, panchayat president K Rakesh claimed that the swimming pool will not add to the woes of the people. ‘’The panchayat is thinking of a rechargeable facility near the pond, which could only help in preserving water,’’ he said.
Rakesh also said that the area would get enough water through the lift irrigation (water from the feeder canal connecting the Neyyar Dam) that the panchayat was planning. When asked if the conversion of the pond would not reverse the water pattern in the area, he said that it would not happen as they are thinking of other recharging facilities.
Sunu, the grama panchayat member in whose ward the pond is being converted, said that an amount of Rs 1.75 crore has been sanctioned for the swimming pool. ‘’We are planning a primary swimming training centre,’’ he said.
When asked about the opposition to the conversion, he said: ‘’The pond is in a dilapidated state. No one has been using the water body for many years. We then thought of converting it into a swimming pool so that everyone could benefit.’’
When asked if the conversion of the pond would not have adverse impact in the future, the panchayat member said that it would not be an issue.