I am involved in the implementation of the Wetland Conservation Programme. This programme started in 2007 and aims at protecting the Vembanad lake ecosystem, promoting conservation and sustainable use and protecting livelihoods. It also aims at educating stakeholders and creating awareness among the lakeside residents, interested citizens and policy makers about the qualitative deterioration of the lake water. This programme is being implemented in the southern part of the lake beyond Thannermukkom barrage where water pollution issues are very severe. I posed a query to the Water Community of Solution Exchange to elicit information for developing tools for water quality management and the organisations support needed. These would help in water quality management and determining feasible parameters based on the experience of members.
Specific Inputs:
Based on the inputs, I changed the focus of the programme from water management for portable drinking water to lake water management. The specific inputs that I used for the projects are as follows -
- Adopted six parameters for field testing as suggested by the members namely - pH, chloride, alkalinity, hardness, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, sulphate and iron
- The field testing kit suggested was later incorporated in the project
- As suggested by the members, we purchased the water quality monitoring kits from C. P. Ramaswamy Iyer research institute, and all basin station members were given training to use the kit. The field testing was conducted by field staff, so that the basin station members could learn to check the water quality thoroughly. Simultaneously we made a tie-up with accredited labs for testing of some of these parameters
- Later the field test kits were expanded to include a thermometer, salinometer and Seccchi disc
- Tie-ups with accredited laboratories were set up for physical-chemical analysis and tie up with a student’s project in St Albert’s college, Ernakulam, was made to do the micro-bacterial analysis
- Community participatory testing of water quality became a part of the project
- The inputs helped in designing tools for regular monitoring of lake water quality and also analyzed practical ways for providing portable drinking water to the local people
- Another query posted in the Water Community, Solution Exchange network about the R/O systems for water supply provided cues to provide potable drinking water to the people. Installation of R/O systems with U.V technology options are under trial in 10 sites now. This community managed, decentralized, efficient technology option will be scaled up to cover more panchayats, if the pilot testing proves to be successful
- The Annual Forum held at Bangalore in 2009 and the regional forum in the same year at Trissur were enriching. The Wetland conservation model discussed in the Bangalore annual meet was very useful for my work
Analysis of Impact
Based on the experience and advice of members of the Water Community on water quality management, I modified the project on wetland water conservation for Vembanad Lake. Now we have modified process of lake water quality monitoring to evaluate the lake ecology favourable to sustain the fish/biodiversity, with the participation of inland fishermen, and formed Lake Protection forums. We analyse the significance of salinity, turbidity, pH variations, BOD, etc., to assess the impact on lake ecology and fish biodiversity. The fishermen who participate in such monitoring can develop their capacities to intervene and bargain for the opening and closing of the Thanneermukkom barrage. Such interventions incorporating parameters for water quality management in the project has helped to refine my targets. Overall, the discussion and response of the members have been very useful for my work.
I am also a part of other communities of Solution Exchange, but a passive member who is keen to observe the interactions and learn from them. I have been an active member of the Water Community for a long time. This platform has provided a wider learning opportunity and moreover, it is a forum that gives a space for learning by doing. It has a multi-dimensional use as it increases the information and knowledge base, contact levels and builds strong relation with those even whom we haven’t met. I have been benefited from this forum in several ways like modifying the project (as mentioned above), more chances for consultancy as people know of me and my work and organization through this forum. I visit other institutions as resource person and am also invited for training programmes through contacts on the Water Community. The functioning of the forum is very transparent and it holds a healthy discussion.
To conclude, the discussions held were very useful and enriching in developing tools for water quality management not only to select best technology options to provide potable drinking water, but also to analyse the lake ecology in terms of the water quality variations. The inputs helped in networking with the organization and increasing the knowledge and resource base.
This experience was shared by Dr. Latha Bhaskar on the basis of two discussions on the Water Community, called Water Quality Management of Lakes – Experience; Advice and Use of R/O Systems for Providing Safe Drinking Water; Experiences, Advice
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