THE LEAD

Blame it on the weatherman

Kerala, one of the wettest states in India, suffers droughts – is it the (in)adequate rainfall or mismanagement that is to be blamed

by T V Jayan

February and March 2004 witnessed yet another drought in Kerala, converting the agricultural lands into graveyards and making farmers paupers. As many as 11 districts were declared drought hit and in the remaining three districts at least half the taluks were declared drought affected.

The state government estimates losses worth Rs 2,844 crores due to this year’s drought. Based on the inputs from 900 medium and marginal farmers during a sample survey done by B A Prakash, head of economics department, University of Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram, the survey found that on an average a farmer lost Rs 17, 524 because of damaged crops.

Unable to accept the severe losses, 11 farmers have committed suicide in Wayanad district since April 2004. The rate of suicides among state’s farmers has shot up drastically to 32 persons per lakh in 2002 from 13 per lakh two decades ago.

The villagers are at the mercy of tankers and trucks to provide them with drinking water, which at their efficient best come around once a week or so. At least 80 per cent of the people depend on the state’s 4.5 million wells and 5 per cent on ponds. But with the ground water falling, more and more people demand treated piped water.

However only 59 per cent of the rural and 79 per cent urban population gets treated drinking water currently. Kerala Water Authority estimates it would need 6,675 million litres per day of drinking water by 2010 if the entire population were to be supplied water.

On one hand, while the 4000 residents of Rosappookandam, a resettlement colony in Idukki district, have just one public tap installed there, right under the village is a pipe that carries water to Tamil Nadu from the Thekkady reservoir.

On the other, Kuttanad in Alapuzha district has 1,100 square kilometers of wetlands but its 1.8 million people do not have clean drinking water. The Pampa, Achankovil, Manimala and Meenachil rivers empty freshwaters into the wetlands, but the ponds in most Kuttanad villages are so dirty that they cannot be used even for washing purposes.

Irrigating crops in these dire circumstances then seems to be a lost luxury. Farmers, more often than not, harvest their paddy much before the first grain sprouts so that they can at least save the hay for the cattle. The case in point is Chittor taluk in Palakkad district that supposedly is the largest rice producer in Kerala.

Palakkad district with its large rain-shadow area gets bountiful water and yet its villages suffered fourth successive drought. Idukki district, which produces 75 per cent of India’s cardamom, fears the failure of one-third of its crops. Kuttanad, once called the rice bowl of Kerala, had low yields because its water is becoming more saline.

Huge investments were made on irrigation projects but little thought was given to improving water supply to semi-urban and rural areas. Kerala’s farmers are steadily replacing uneconomical and labour-intensive paddy with perennial crops like coconut and areca nut, but all the major and minor irrigation projects in the state have been built for large-scale rice cultivation.

16 completed projects and 15 in the pipeline have cost Kerala Rs 3,245 crore on irrigation till 2002-03. When the state began planning the projects they wanted to convert maximum agricultural land into paddy fields. But by the time most dams and irrigation canals were constructed, the areas to be irrigated were not cultivating paddy. The result is "irrigation in excess of the actual demand".

The tragedies inflicted by the drought did not spare Wayanad’s forest reserves either. The forest department officials had to dig up artificial ponds and fill them with water transported by tankers, but not before five elephants and several bison died. Deer, which strayed into human habitats for water, were chased and killed by dogs.

It is indeed ironical how a state with 3000 mm of rains each year – almost three times more than the national average – and 44 rivers suffers droughts. Agreed that Kerala has a high density of population – about 800 people per square kilometre – but the water available through rainfall per capita per day is approximately a massive 11, 500 litres.

What is then drinking up the state’s water? "Inefficient water and land management practices are the principal causes for this crisis," says Srikumar Chattopadhyay, a scientist at the Center for Earth Science Studies (CESS). A closer analysis reveals the weight of this observation.

For decades marshy lands and wetlands, which recharge groundwater and help in retaining soil moisture, have been reclaimed for constructing buildings and laying roads and railways – non-agricultural purposes, which most certainly do not recharge water.

Forests play a key role in binding together the soil and retaining rainwater, as also for bringing rainfall. But large-scale deforestation in the state has greatly accentuated the water crisis. Independent studies and satellite images show that the forest cover has declined from 14.7 per cent in 1983 to nine per cent in 2003.

Ever since the boom in the construction sector in the last decade, sand mining has become a lucrative business in Kerala. Its rivers have paid the price. Kerala government has banned mining at Bharathapuzha and its six tributaries for three months but the contractor-politician and panchayat official lobby keeps the mining going.

Driven by this gross inefficiency and faced with growing demand, the state has signed several expensive agreements with international organisations for water supply projects. However, "the need for such projects has not been assessed", remarks a CESS scientist.

The Rs 450 crore Jalanidhi project being implemented by the Kerala Rural Water Supply and Sanitation Agency and assisted by the World Bank will cover three million homes with a capital expenditure of Rs 2,250 on each beneficiary family.

"The project will slowly take the government out of water supply though it is the state’s duty to provide water at a rate affordable to people," says A Achyuthan, a hydrologist and a former professor at National Institute of Technology in Kozhikode.

Despite being pitted against the agencies of globalisation, community projects have relevance even today. For example Olavanna, a village seven kilometers from Kozhikode, has been running its independent water project sine 1987.

Using ponds and wells the village supplies 400 litres of water daily to each household. It is required that they be encouraged instead of just handing over the responsibility of dealing with the water crisis to international bodies at any rate that they dictate to us. Ponds and lakes have the potential to recharge water and ensure that the water table doesn’t fall steeply but there is no policy for preserving small water bodies.

The problems are further heightened by power crisis that looms over the state. Under-performing hydroelectric projects and not poor rainfall, as the authorities claim, are to be blamed for this. There are fifteen hydroelectric projects in the state but the production of electricity has fallen from 7,305 million units (MU) in 1998-99 to 4,314 MU in 2002-03.

The need of the hour really is that the people and the government get their act together and acknowledge that they are facing water scarcity. Planners and scientists need to come up with solutions to the Kerala problem, keeping in mind its geographical and topological peculiarities. Kerala has to do that soon; it cannot postpone the same for the next dry spell.

Inter linking woes

Interlinking rivers is politically unwise, ecologically destructive and financially unviable

by Pankaj Singh and Dharamveer Singh, students at the National Law Institute, Bhopal

On October 31, 2002, the Supreme Court of India directed the central government to link the country’s major rivers by 2015. The National Water Development Authority (NWDA) has proposed a national river grid and has identified 30 river links, which would connect every major river in the Indian mainland.

The plan envisions to tap the flood flow of the Himalayan and peninsular rivers estimated at 30,000 to 60,000 cubic metres of water per second (cusec) during a few days in the monsoon season. These waters will be stored in reservoirs and finally drained over thousands of kilometres of canals to "parched" agricultural lands in Southern, Western and Central India.

But finer analysis reveals that only 4500 cusecs is to be lifted from a total flood flow of 60,000 cusecs. Such small proportions will not mitigate or solve the flood problems of the country. Moreover, Ganga water-fed states get flooded during the rainy season but suffer from water scarcity during the dry season. Transferring water might end creating disputes between states.

As of now there is no institutional mechanism to deal with matters concerning inter basin transfers. There is a proposal to vest the Centre with full powers over the national river grid. But it is highly unlikely that the states will agree to this proposal and the project might end up getting embroiled in lengthy litigation.

Across borders, Bangladesh has already expressed reservations. The project will curb the natural flow of Bangladesh’s two major rivers – Ganga and Brahmaputra. India is also bound by the Farraka treaty of 1996 to allow the Ganga to flow unhindered into Bangladesh.

The project claims that it will enhance drinking water supplies. Domestic use of water currently accounts for a mere five percent of the total use of water harnessed through canals, wells and tube-wells. Interlinking is hardly justified as the solution to increasing water requirements.

Moreover it will be almost impossible to take the water to all inhabitants without huge investments. Decentralised local rainwater harvesting, by reviving and improving traditional techniques, can meet essential requirements for domestic purposes more effectively and at a far lower cost.

Against the proclaimed benefits, the social and economic costs of the project are much higher. The World Bank estimates the health costs of water pollution in India to be equivalent to three per cent of the country’s gross domestic product. With Indian rivers severely polluted, interlinking them may actually increase these costs.

The human costs of river linking: about four and a half lakh people – most of them tribal and from backward sections – would be displaced in the construction of canals, running into thousands of kilometres and some 200 storage dams. Nearly 79,000 hectares of forestland will be submerged.

Given India’s woeful track record in rehabilitating people affected by development projects, it is very unlikely that people displaced by the interlinking project will get any justice.

To add to it the costs of interlinking, according to NWDA, are estimated at Rs 5,60,000 crores. But this is a conservative figure. Suresh Prabhu, chairperson of the task force to implement the project says that the costs might go up to Rs 10,00,000 cores. This is much higher than the country’s gross domestic savings and the expenditure is expected to be much higher than India’s total outstanding external debt.

Prabhu has now called upon the industry to support the endeavour. The Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry and the Confederation of Indian Industries are enthusiastically discussing their positions in the light of the potential benefits that might accrue from river linking. There is a real good chance that multinational corporations might jump into the fray.

In fact our water starved communities might stand to lose even more. For, Prabhu suggests that the government can raise the money through loans, taxes and user charges. This really means that local user will have to bear the enormous costs of sustaining the project.

Nepal joint venture with NHPC

Nepal is all set to venture into the Upper Karnali power project, a collaborative effort with India. It is a 300 mega-watt (mw) venture with an estimated cost of US $ 500 million. The Nepal Electricity Authority is vetting a draft memorandum of understanding. The project envisages five units of 60 mw each on the river in Birendranagar district. The Indian state owned National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) will set up the project at Birendranagar, 600 km west of the Nepal capital Kathmandu. The project will have a debt equity ratio of 70:30. While Nepal will contribute 49 per cent equity, NHPC will put in the remaining 51 per cent. The venture is expected to produce 2,353 million units of power annually and the Nepal government will earn an energy royalty at 16 Indian paise per every unit exported to India. This will be besides the profit sharing between the promoters.

Green light to Arsenic Policy

The Bangladesh cabinet committee, headed by the Prime Minister Khalida Zia, has cleared the National Policy on Arsenic Mitigation. The policy was framed by a nine member group of secretaries and a panel of experts. The policy contains a set of guidelines and protocols called the implementation plan which are to be followed in the 59 districts – out of 64 – that are reeling under arsenic contamination, threatening the health of bout 30-40 million people. Digging of tubewells can be done only in areas where there are no alternative sources like ponds and dug wells. It also sets a protocol for validation of water purifying devices, which are flooding the markets in Bangladesh. All devices will have to be tested by the government. Only those with government certification will be allowed in the markets. Local governments would be involved in the process. The disposal of arsenic sludge will also be done in accordance with a set of rules developed by a panel of scientists. Even though the new policy has been described as comprehensive the real test lies in its implementation.

GM food aid in controversy

60 groups representing farmers, consumers, and development organisations from 15 African countries have sent an open letter to the World Food Programme protesting against the pressure exerted by WSP and USAID on Sudan and Angola over their respective decisions to impose restrictions on GM food aid. While Sudan wants food aid to e GM free, Angola says it will accept transgenic food only if the GM grain is first milled. The WSP has cut off food aid to Sudan, despite their interim waiver of the GM food restriction. On the other hand, Angola faces a significant decrease in the provision of food if it continued with its preconditions. They should emulate Zambia, which banned GM food aid and not only managed to cope with the crisis but also began exporting non-GM food to its neighbours.

Nuke the mosquitoes

The United Nations, a key opponent of weapons of mass destruction, is ironically set to use nuclear energy to combat malaria. The Sterile Insect Technique (SIT) exposes the male insect to radiation rendering them sterile. They are then released into the environment where on becoming dominant, they cause the mosquito population to dwindle. This eventually leads to eradication of the disease. This US $ 4 million project has been described as a high risk project. UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency intends to use it in Africa, the disease hotspot. The IAEA researchers have to develop enough resources to release one million sterile male insects everyday. The mosquitoes have to be robust to survive the environment and tough to compete with fertile males. But they may not lead to environmental contamination claim IAEA researchers. El Salvador had successfully used the SIT in the 1970’s to eradicate malaria.