Kochi: The government has informed Kerala High Court that the state is facing its worst drought situation in the last 115 years. Quoting the Disaster Management Authority the state submitted that Kerala would be facing unimaginable and unprecedented drought situation including scarcity of drinking water this summer. The scarcity of water has reached new heights even now. It is after considering all these aspects that the department of disaster management has issued circular banning bore well, state said. Ground water is being extracted through ordinary open wells and other sources. There had been a steady decline for the past several years.
According to the state the ground water resources are exploited indiscriminately and the same would result in drying up of ground water and will also lead to iron and mineral contamination of ground water. If this happens, it will have an effect on losing the availability of ground water for many years to come. Because of these facts the state has decided to contain the indiscriminate digging of bore wells. State submitted that it receives a normal Monsoon rainfall of 2521 millimetres. Most part of the sate survives on ground water for drinking purposes during summer.
As per the available statistics the monsoon rainfall for the year 2016 was 1,537 millimeters only, which was 29 per cent less than normal Monsoon. The state has issued specific guidelines in order to take some precaution for meeting severe drought for the sake of entire population. In order to preserve water for the use of public, especially drinking water, these guidelines are to be strictly adhered to by all the concerned department and by general public, the affidavit said.
