Water water everywhere, not a drop to drink”, the classic lines by Samuel Taylor Coleridge depicts the plight of the drinking water crisis in Kuttanad.  The area remains a paradigm of marginalized drinking water availability impasse. Despite Kuttanad being intercepted by lagoons, rivers and canals, and a flood plain of 5 major rivers in the state, people struggle to access fresh drinking water.  

 • Rain water is the only viable source for drinking water as open dug wells are not viable due to peculiar terrain and soil types.
Kuttanad soils are highly acidic with natural sulphates and often reflects in the water quality. In addition, loaded with fluoride and iron content, the groundwater is not generally suitable for drinking purposes.
 

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Rainwater harvesting (RWH) is the collection and storage of rain, rather than allowing it to run off. Rainwater harvesting is one of the simplest and oldest methods of self-supply of water for households, having been used in South Asia and other countries for many thousands of years. One time installation of these RWH structure can serve for a household or a community for many years.

Kuttanad being a region surrounded by water and subjected to flood sometimes twice a year is still facing scarcity for drinking water. Summer is the cruelest for the people of Kuttanad as drinking water would be the most sought-after thing in Kuttanad. The waterlogged areas of Kuttanad like Chambakulam, Edathua, Kainakary and Thayankari are reeling under acute shortage of potable water.

How ever kuttanad is blessed with high average rainfall and abundant water resources. In a monsoon season kuttanad receives enough rain water for the whole year. Collecting these rainwater would alone solve most of the issues of drinking water for many. The factors that pull back people from opting rain water harvesting structure are the cost of construction and the land for construction. Here comes the relevance of this project.