Mazhapolima : Ensuring water security through participatory well recharge in Kerala

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30 Jan 2017, 11:20 am

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Mazhapolima is a participatory climate change adaptation initiative which was launched by the Government of Kerala in Thrissur district in 2008. The project aims to alleviate the problem of water scarcity by harvesting rainwater from rooftops and feeding it into open dug wells, which traditionally form the water security mechanisms of the state. Active participation of Gram Panchayats, private agencies and beneficiaries led to the installation of over 10,300 Mazhapolima units with government subsidy. The effect of these units on groundwater levels has encouraged more than 10,000 households to adopt Mazhapolima open well recharging systems at their own cost.

Rationale

Objectives

Key Stakeholders

Implementation strategy

a. Innovation

The concept of rainwater harvesting is not new. However, the participatory model of implementation under Mazhapolima and the convergence of the efforts of various agencies and actors are innovative. The major innovative strands under this initiative include its PRIcentric, participatory approach to rainwater harvesting; creation of a dedicated unit at the district level to assist GPs in technical implementation; extension of the initiative to various government and private institutions; convergence of existing government schemes such as Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) scheme, Integrated Watershed Management Programme (IWMP), and Western Ghat Development Programme; and encouragement of private investment in cash or kind to ensure ownership of the initiative by the beneficiary. Government assistance is provided only to ScheduledCaste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) and BPL beneficiaries.

b. Awareness generation

The drought of 2004 was the immediate trigger that escalated the issue of water conservation and management to the top of the public agenda. While efforts were being made by the district management to meet this crisis, the vernacular media, especially Malayalam Manorama, launched a dedicated campaign on the issue of water conservation called Pala Thulli (many drops) in Thrissur district, which propagated various means of achieving a new water culture. For more than a year, the newspaper dedicated a page to the Pala Thulli campaign, organised seminars and workshops, held exhibitions and video shows, and distributed booklets. These efforts were especially targeted at the youth, and created anunprecedented awareness on the subject. The newspaper also announced a Pala Thulli Award for outstanding work by institutions in water conservation.

The awareness generated by the programme can be gauged by the fact that more than 300 entries competed for this award. Similar dedicated efforts were initiated by various civil society actors, including conservation efforts by the Thiruvananthapuram -based NGO Planet in 2006- 2007. The Jalanidhi programme aided by the World Bank set the backdrop for Mazhapolima. The Jalanidhi programme was designed to assist the Government ofKerala in improving the quality of rural water supply and environmental sanitation service delivery to achieve sustainability. Jalanidhi made the administration more receptive to ideas of water conservation and sanitation, which helped Mazhapolima secure the requisiteadministrative support for implementation.

After the adoption of Mazhapolima by the District Planning Committee of Malappuram district, efforts were made to create awareness by involving GPs as well as Panchayat-level personnel such as anganwadi workers (AWWs), auxiliary nurse midwives (ANMs), accredited social health activists (ASHAs), religious and charitable agencies, clubs, schools, Kudumbasree, and the local resource team. The aim was to involve all these stakeholders in taking the message across to households that had open wells. The Information, Education and Communication (IEC) programme was well received in the community and many were motivated to adopt the initiative using their personal resources, without waiting for government subsidy. This enhanced the sustainability of the initiative.

c. Grievance redressal

The initiative does not currently have a separate complaint or grievance redressal mechanism, but since it is implemented through GPs, people take their grievancesto the Panchayat representatives and members. Beneficiaries can also contact the Mazhapolima office with their technical complaints.

d. Trainings

Capacity building has been identified as a key component for the successful implementation of the Mazhapolima initiative. However, this has not fully taken off. For example, staff training has been held only once since the inception of the initiative.

Resources Utilised

Impact

Strong public interest in setting up Mazhapolima units:

The active participation of GPs, private agencies and beneficiaries led to the implementation of about 8,056 Mazhapolima units in 58 GPs by December 2012. By January 2014, more than 10,300 Mazhapolima unitshad been installed with government subsidy. The positive effect of these units on groundwater levels has encouraged more than 10,000 households to adopt Mazhapolima open well recharging system at their own cost.

Improvements in water quality:

An impact assessment study by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management, Kozhikode, revealed a decrease in pH levels in the water collected from the recharged area. Moreover, the salinity level of the water collected from recharged wells in the coastal region is relatively low compared to samples collected from non-recharged areas.

However, the recharged water showed a high level of bacteriological contamination, hinting towards leach pits near wells or non-functional filters. The assessment also showed that the draining of groundwater in steep slopes is much faster than in gentle and moderate slopes. This finding suggests that to retain the harvested rainwater for a longer duration, areas with gentle to moderate slopes should be selected for Mazhapolima units.