Upland areas in Kozhikode reel under water crisis

With the summer worsening water scarcity across several upland regions of Kozhikode district, complaints have emerged from various grama panchayats alleging inadequate efforts by local authorities to revive small-scale drinking water schemes, alongside an increasing dependence on tanker-based supply.

Environmentalists and farmers’ organisation leaders claim that at least two small projects with potential for revival have been ignored across over 70 grama panchayats in the district. They point out that Kayanna is one of the worst-hit panchayats, where residents have long been seeking concrete action from the authorities.

According to a senior citizen from Kolorupara in Kayanna panchayat, the local authorities appear to be prioritising tanker-based distribution, which entails higher recurring expenditure and higher commissions for operators. “What we need is a sustainable solution with long-term results during the summer,” he says, adding that the panchayat authorities were trying to sideline people who raised their voices against the “shoddy implementation” of projects.