Efforts by the Communication and Capacity Development Unit (CCDU), under the Department of Water Resources, to make Kerala a water-friendly society have entered the virtual world.
A Facebook page ‘Hai Jalam’ was launched recently and opened to the public on Friday.
A spherical drop of water on a leaf with the message ‘We should know the significance of water’ forms the cover picture of the profile associated with the page.
Apart from tips to make people ‘water smart’ - ‘put faucet aerators on sink taps’ and ‘a faucet that drips just once per second wastes 27,000 gallons of water annually’ - the page will also contain information on rainwater harvesting and groundwater recharge models.
There will also be a blog associated with the page.
Taking responsibility for the page is CCDU Director V Subhash Chandra Bose, who hopes to create a society that ‘loves and respects water’ in a world where ‘clean water is available to every person.
’ “There is a need for people’s initiatives,” he told this paper.
“This page is meant to equip people with information on existing water conservation and purification models and get inputs from those who have successfully employed such techniques.
” One example of such technology transfer available on the page is that of the Terafil water purification units developed by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), Bhubaneshwar.
This portable unit, which can be installed in houses for as low as ` 750 according to Bose, is a doublelayered plastic container with blended terracotta discs in the middle which filter water.
In the first two days of its launch, 98 people have befriended ‘Hai Jalam.
’ “We cannot send more than a specific number of requests per day, but we aim to get at least one lakh people to join,” said Bose.
The prime target of the page, however, is school students. “We hope students will use this as a forum for discussing and propagating water conservation ideas,” said Bose.
“Seeing the page, I have already got several calls, including one from a student in Pulamanthole, Malappuram, seeking advice on how to clean up a pond in their panchayat.
” With the aim of promoting the spirit of water conservation in children, the CCDU launched a scheme last week - to create ‘Jalashree’ clubs in schools across the state over the next three years.
Here, students are expected to undertake activities like water-quality monitoring, ensuring water availability in their schools, prevention of pollution of drinking water sources and organisation of awareness campaigns in their respective areas.