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Kannur District Pioneers Comprehensive Water Budgeting in Kerala
14 Aug
Summary
- Kannur to become first Kerala district with comprehensive water budget
- Budget aims to make citizens "water literate" by sharing data on water availability and usage
- Project involves multiple government departments to track water resources and demand
In August 2025, Kannur district in Kerala is poised to become the first in the state to prepare a comprehensive district water budget. The initiative, led by the Harith Keralam Mission (HKM), follows the preparation of water budgets for all local bodies in the district.
According to HKM district coordinator E.K. Somashekharan, the water budget aims to make citizens "water literate" by publicly presenting data on water availability and usage. This comes at a time when freshwater sources in the region are dwindling amid rising consumption.
The project is being implemented in coordination with various government departments, including District Planning, Groundwater, Minor Irrigation, Agriculture, Local Self Government, Water Authority, and Statistics. The methodology involves tracking surface and groundwater resources, recording rainfall data, and analyzing factors like forest cover, terrain, and seasonal rain patterns.
Data from multiple departments will help calculate the total demand for domestic, irrigation, industrial, tourism, and business use. Following the completion of the water budget, Kannur district plans to draft a water security plan focusing on river catchment rejuvenation and sustainable water management.
