Key rivers which nourish the central Travancore region are staring at dwindling water levels as Kerala braces a searing early summer season. With this, the Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts are now facing the threat of extreme drought conditions.
Critical water sources such as the Pampa, Meenachil, Manimala and Kodoor rivers are rapidly dwindling, signalling the onset of potential drought conditions. Most tributaries of these vast rivers have ceased to flow, having reduced to a series of green, shrivelled up puddles.
An official with the Irrigation department said, “The water level in these rivers which were in spate till December has gone down sharply with shortage of drinking water already being reported from the upstream areas. The spells of summer rain have not been adequate to revive the water levels.”
