Kochi: The Ernakulam District administration has decided to re-launch the drought mitigation programme “100 ponds in 50 days”, buoyed by its success in previous years. “We aim to revive at least 100 ponds in the district during March and April and use them as alternate drinking water sources in future. This time, the Minor Irrigation department will lead the activities,” said District Collector Muhammed Y Safirullah.
A meeting of representatives from all the local bodies is scheduled to be held on February 27 at the Collectorate Conference Hall to work out details such as selection of ponds and funds allocated. It was former collector MG Rajamanickam who started the programme in 2016 with the aim of reviving ponds on the verge of extinction due to encroachment. A total of 53 ponds were resuscitated in the initial year.
Safirullah continued the project the next year to resolve the water crisis in the city and 156 ponds were revived. The exercise is planned in such a way that the activities will be concluded before the onset of monsoon. The project is being implemented in co-operation with the Haritha Kerala Mission, Local bodies, various government departments, Cochin Shipyard Ltd, NCC, Kudumbashree and Nehru Yuva Kendra among others. It will also witness the participation of voluntary groups like ‘Anbodu Kochi’.
