Role of Politics and Economy in the Worsening of Water Related Problems in Kerala, India

Globally, water resources are being fast depleted or deteriorated, while the demands are increasingmanifold. Water resources management is becoming a greater challenge in the developing countries withchanging environmental, political, social and economic conditions. Politics and shadow economy are amongmajor hurdles in resource management, making implementation of projects and policy guidelines often a failure.The State of Kerala in India is rich in water resources, but it experiences serious seasonal water shortagesbecause of inefficient water conservation and management practices, an after effect of the slow governmentmachinery and corruption. Delays in project completion lead to substantial increase in costs and many projectsare left half the way, lacking finance. Disputes over water sharing among different users and upstreamdownstreamusers continue without amicable settlements, just because of political reasons. Human impact onthe resources is tremendous in the State. There are rules and regulations to avoid degradation of resources fromwaste and chemical input, sand quarrying in riverbeds and catchments, deforestation in watersheds and overdraftof groundwater. These rules and judicial orders become farce to those with strong political and financialinfluence. An appropriate and frequently updated water policy, a strong political will to implement policyguidelines and suggestions, and efficient measures to prevent misappropriation of money allotted to waterrelated projects can help overcome water crisis in Kerala.