[1]His voice, always known for its mellifluous cadence, suddenly soared to an angry pitch and then settled down to notes of despair. Dr K.J. Yesudas, couldn’t conceal his fury and frustration on learning that one of his pet projects had almost become part of the city’s waste, with all those concerned with it, turning a blind eye towards its upkeep.
Yes, we are talking about the rainwater harvesting unit set up a decade ago at the Maharaja’s College, here. The two tanks, each with a capacity to hold 1.5 lakh litres of rainwater, now present a pathetic picture. Both the tanks are hardly cared for. One of the tanks has been given a concrete cover and is being used to store water supplied by the Kerala Water Authority.
In effect, the Rs2 lakh project, of which Yesudas had given half, has turned into a filthy pool now. This comes at a time when more than half of Kerala’s population lives under the threat of acute water shortage.
Talking to Deccan Chronicle, Yesudas said that this kind of an attitude would discourage people with social commitment from investing their resources in such projects. “What should I say about this sort of an attitude? I am really sad to know that the project has gone waste. Now I feel I should have used the money for a project like cochlear implants so that a family would have benefited by it,” he said, despair creeping into his voice.
When contacted, Maharaja’s College principal Mary Matilda said the issue had not come to her attention. “It’s been only two weeks since I took charge and there are more pressing issues on the campus which need to be addressed,” she said.
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[1] http://archive.asianage.com/rain-waterjpgcropdisplayjpg-041