The Kunnamangalam block panchayat in Keralam’s Kozhikode has completed the digital mapping of its rivulets, streams and other water sources, setting a model for local bodies seeking to protect and rejuvenate their water resources through public participation.

The map was recently unveiled by Agriculture Minister T. Siddique and handed over the first copy to MLA M.A. Razak. Block panchayat Vice-President Vinod Padanilam presided over the function that witnessed the culmination of several months’ efforts by the community survey team members.

The mapping was carried out with the support of the Haritha Keralam Mission, with local residents helping identify and document the water channels and other sources within the block panchayat limits. The exercise, claimed to be the first such organised attempt in Kozhikode district, has provided a scientific record of the water resources and their present condition, while also bringing local knowledge into the conservation process.

“The completed map is expected to serve as a planning tool for the local administration. It can help identify stretches where the natural flow of water has been obstructed, as well as locations where waste and silt have accumulated,” said a local body member who was in the forefront of the project. This, in turn, can facilitate the planning of cleaning, desilting and restoration works, he added.

According to officials with the Haritha Keralam Mission, the information can also be used to plan measures to reduce waterlogging and flood risks during the monsoon. By identifying vulnerable stretches and documenting changes in the condition of water channels, the local body can prioritise conservation and preventive interventions, they pointed out.

Scientists from the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management say the local body’s initiative has assumed significance as several small water bodies in rural Kozhikode have deteriorated in the absence of systematic mapping and conservation plans. Many of the rivulets had supported local drinking-water sources, while some had dried up owing to waste dumping and pollution, they observed.

The wider mapping programme was launched with an intention to prepare a scientific inventory of active, degraded and dried-up rivulets through field-level assessment and public feedback. The data generated through the exercise would be shared with government departments concerned to support conservation, pollution-control and restoration measures.

“The mapping has also brought renewed attention to the threats facing rural streams. Many residents have raised concerns over rampant quarrying, which they have attributed to the drying up of several streams” said B. Radhakrishnan, a local resident who cooperated with the survey. Besides quarrying, changes in land use, waste accumulation, pollution and obstruction of natural drainage could be examined to determine the causes of degradation, he pointed out.

The exercise, according to the local body members, has also sought to address a practical problem faced by local administrations: water channels that remain undocumented are often overlooked while planning development and conservation works.

A digital inventory can provide a common reference for different departments while helping local communities monitor the condition of their water resources, they added.

Published - August 23, 2026 03:42 pm IST