DRINKING WATER SCARCITY FACED BY THE PEOPLE OF KOTTAPURAM, VIZHINJAM: ISSUES AND CHALLENGES

Abstract

As we approach the next century, more than a quarter of the world's population or a third of the population in developing countries live in regions that will experience severe water scarcity. This reserch study concentrates on the toiling and struggling people of the area are faced due to improper management of drinking water. Water scarcity arises in situations where there is insufficient water to simultaneously support both human and ecosystem water needs. Most often this arises as a result of a basic lack of water, but it may also result from a lack of suitable infrastructure to provide access to what might otherwise be considered ample available water resources, which is referred to as economic water scarcity. Physical water scarcity may occur as a result of both natural phenomenaas well as from human influences. The researchfound that the lack of basic amenities, high population density and poor sanitation are the acute problem in the area which indirectly results in drinking water scarcity. As a social problem, Sanitation and water availability are crucially important to human health and well being, and their indispensable role asengine to the regional development. Kottapuram is a muncipal ward in the coast of Vizhinjam, Trivandrum, Kerala.For many decades people of Kottapuram is sufferring from proper drinking water issues, lot many initiatives where taken by the government and the church diocese for solving the issue, though there are no alternatives. The people depend on private lobbies for drinking water and extract water from wells and ponds to satisfy their daily amenities. Today a big corporate project is being done on the coast of Vizhinjam by the Adani Group, a Multinational conglomerate company, where the water for the group directly provided without any problems but still the toiling masses of the Kottapuram region who most of them are belonging to the fishermen community suffers the ignorance of basic right of good drinking water. The present study was an attempt to find out the issues faced by the people on improper drinking water facility in Kottapuram, Vizhinjam. Secondly it tried to understand how drinking water scarcity affects the common people of Kottapuram, Vizhinjam. The study also tried to understand the measures taken by government and local bodies to improve the situations and to understand the challenges faced by the people due to improper drinking wate