Pallithode
village, Alleppey district, Kerela
The Alleppey Diocesan Charitable and Social Welfare Society (ADCSWS)
has constructed water harvesting and storage systems for 52 households
of Pallithode village in the coastal district of Alleppey, Kerela.
There is severe drinking water scarcity in the area. Though rainfall
is heavy, salinity intrusion through estuaries makes the water, brackish
and hence unsuitable for use. In addition there are location specific
problems of turbidity, excessive hardness, and presence of high levels
of iron and flouride. Water table is shallow (1.5 - 2m below the ground)
and proximity to the sea results in inundation, which increases the
salinity of water.
The ADCSWS assessed the viability of providing roof top rainwater
in the coastal belt. Within one square meter of area and one millimetere
(mm) of rain, the water that can be harvested is one litre. This
means that the roofs have tremendous potential - with 10 mm of rainfall,
a 50sq m roof can collect 500 litres of water. Since 1997, the organisation
has constructed 52 rooftop rainwater harvesting structures. The
rainwater is being used by the people successfully at a cost of
Rs 10,000 per household. The water samples have been tested and
found safe for human consumption.
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