The project is being carried out with the support of the Haritha Keralam Mission, with Kunnamangalam block panchayat included in the first phase

Digital mapping of rivulets and streams has begun in the rural areas of Kozhikode district as part of a broader initiative to strengthen water conservation and address pollution threats. The project is being carried out with the support of the Haritha Keralam Mission, with Kunnamangalam block panchayat included in the first phase.

According to grama panchayat officials, the absence of a proper mapping effort and subsequent conservation plan has resulted in the degradation of several small waterbodies, many of which support the local drinking water sources. A number of these rivulets have already dried up due to waste dumping and rampant pollution.

Haritha Keralam Mission coordinators in Kozhikode district say the latest mapping initiative is expected to document the current condition of each rivulet, incorporating public feedback. According to them, a comprehensive list of active and dried up rivulets will be readily available after the scientific field-level mapping process. Once completed, the data will be shared with various government departments concerned to support planning and implementation of various conservation and pollution control measures, they add.

Officials also confirm that several local bodies have already completed the initial stages of the survey, addressing concerns raised by environmentalists and local action councils for nature. "If any major threats are identified, the findings will be forwarded to the higher authorities for further action," says a State-level coordinator of Haritha Keralam Mission projects. He adds that mapping of waterbodies has already become a mandatory exercise across the State in response to climate change trends and related threats.

In villages such as Karassery, Thottumukkam, Koodaranhi, and Koombara, the residents have been raising concerns about rampant quarrying which they claim is the major reason for the drying up of many rural streams. As part of the survey, scientific assessments will be done to determine the actual causes behind the recent extinction of some of the very old water sources.

"A similar mapping effort in 2017 covered major waterbodies and check dams in 14 gram panchayats in Kozhikode," says a retired scientist from the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM), Kozhikode. He adds that the project, completed under the National Water Campaign with NABARD funding, found that overuse of water and low water quality were key contributors to drinking water shortages in the district.

In parallel efforts, the Kerala Remote Sensing and Environment Centre in association with the CWRDM, had earlier mapped wetlands across the State. This initiative by the State Wetland Authority of India, had led to the creation of a digital inventory and the uploading of details to a dedicated central government portal for further actions.

Digital mapping begins to record rivulets in rural areas of Kozhikode