KOZHIKODE: The Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) has embarked on a project to improve the quality of potable water across the state.A pilot of the project, funded by the Water and Environment Sanitation Division of UNICEF is currently being implemented in around 10 panchayats in Kozhikode. The project identifies well water as the main source of drinking water in the state and seeks to alter the construction and location of wells scientifically to minimise the contamination of water. Works on a well in Kunnamangalam have already been completed and it was handed over to the public recently.“Many factors can lead to the contamination of water in a well including its construction, washing and other domestic activities in its vicinity and an improper drainage system. The project will explore technical improvisations to the open well system and the existing drainage and waste disposal system in the vicinity of these wells,” said Dr P S Harikumar, scientist at the CWRDM, who heads the project.To carry this out, squads comprising representatives of the panchayat concerned and experts will be formed and they will conduct reconnaissance surveys in various panchayats and track down wells that pose a health hazard to the people who depend on it. A technical team from the CWRDM will then visit these wells and recommend alterations based on characteristics like the construction of the well and the location of latrines and leech pits near it. Water filters will also be distributed in selected areas. The project also involves the distribution of water cards to people who use water from these wells to continuously evaluate the outcome of intervention. “The card will record the concentration of various elements in water and will describe simple methods to treat any abnormalities,” said Dr Harikumar.The pilot project in Kozhikode has received around `10 lakh from the UNICEF and the initial reception it received has made Dr Harikumar optimistic about its success. “We organised workshops for representatives of all panchayats and they were very enthusiastic about the project,” he said. The success of the project here would lead to its state-wide implementation, he added.
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