Kottayam: Water resources and housing minister Mons Joseph stated that the government's stance is to construct a new dam at Mullaperiyar. Speaking at a 'Meet the Press' program in the city on Monday, he mentioned that efforts would be made for Kerala and Tamil Nadu to reach a consensus on the issue.
New Water Policy for Public Welfare
Joseph said Kerala will frame a new water policy that is more beneficial to the public. "The aim is to transform the water resources department into a public-welfare department. The department will take all necessary steps to implement public-benefit projects and ensure drinking water reaches people. Presently, in many places, water is not reaching the pipelines laid under the Jal Jeevan Mission scheme. Even though more water connections are being issued, water is not reaching anywhere. To fix this, more drinking-water sources will have to be identified," he said.
Review of Irrigation Projects
"Irrigation projects are also being reviewed. Irrigation schemes must function to benefit the agricultural sector. Projects are being advanced with central cooperation, and funds must be sanctioned from the central government. Funding possibilities from agencies like ADB also need to be explored. Taking projects forward in a people-friendly way will be possible by formulating a new water policy. A high-level conclave will be held for this," he added.
Addressing Siltation and Flooding
"Reservoirs and canals are choked with silt. Flooding is worsening in areas, including Kuttanad and Upper Kuttanad. Using machines, sand and silt deposited on riverbeds must be removed to ease the flow of water. Nothing from the Kuttanad package has come into action. Merely allocating money in budgets is pointless. The government will design action plans to carry out sand removal and dredging in a corruption-free manner," Joseph said.
Housing Board Challenges
The housing board is under threat of closure, said the minister. "It is in a situation where it cannot even pay salaries. The government has taken up the major challenge of revitalizing the housing board. Although there are lands and buildings in various places, they haven't been made useful. Shortcomings will be rectified with proper maintenance," he said.
Joseph said the government would take up and implement projects to build houses for the poor with the support of voluntary organizations, including expatriate groups.
