Drinking Water
The Kuttanad region, despite being surrounded by water bodies on all sides, faces acute drinking water shortage. The drinking water system is plagued with multiple issues such as limited water availability and lack of access due to inefficient piping systems and pollution due to contamination from domestic and tourism activities have posed serious threats to the drinking water supply in the region. The centralized water schemes like the Jal Jeevan Mission have also been incapable of tackling these local level issues. Our focus is to develop contextual solutions that can be adopted by local administrations for providing safe and reliable drinking to the communities in the region.
Preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Strategic Rainwater Harvesting and Managed Aquifer Recharge in Paivalike Grama Panchayat
2025
LIving Lab Alleppey Team has developed an Integrated Water Management Plan for Paivalike Grama Panchayat, Kasargod, focusing on strategic rainwater harvesting and managed aquifer recharge. The project, undertaken in collaboration with Kerala Development & Innovation Strategic Council (KDISC) and IIT Bombay, involved a detailed aquifer assessment and pilot-scale study in partnership with Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM). Through extensive well inventory and aquifer mapping, recharge-bearing zones were identified, and a strategic monitoring network was established. Based on these findings, a comprehensive aquifer recharge design plan was proposed to help sustainably replenish groundwater levels in the region.
Preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for an Integrated Drinking Water Management Plan in Sreenarayanapuram Grama Panchayat
2025
LIving Lab Alleppey Team has prepared an Integrated Water Management Plan for Sreenarayanapuram Grama Panchayat, Thrissur. The project undertaken in collaboration with Kerala Development & Innovation Strategic Council (KDISC) and IIT Bombay, proposes installing a Reverse Osmosis (RO) plant to serve the most vulnerable settlement, Gothuruth, which faces acute drinking water challenges due to saline intrusion in water sources. It also addresses supply issues caused by aging infrastructure through the introduction of a Hydraulic Isolation structure. For long-term sustainability, the plan recommends developing a comprehensive master plan for strategic aquifer study and management. This will be carried out in collaboration with Advanced Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (ACWADAM), aiming to ensure long-term water security and regional resilience.
Preparation of Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a Hydraulic Isolation-Based Water Supply System in Elakamon Grama Panchayat
2022
LIving Lab Alleppey Team has prepared a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a decentralized drinking water solution in Elakamon Grama Panchayat, Thiruvananthapuram. The project undertaken in collaboration with Kerala Development & Innovation Strategic Council (KDISC) and Environmental Science & Engineering Department (ESED) IIT Bombay, proposes retrofitting the existing pipeline network with a Hydraulic Isolation-based shaft system, sourcing water from an underutilized perennial spring. The primary beneficiaries are the marginal settlements of Paanil and Thenguvila—high-altitude, tail-end areas suffering from poor water access due to elevation and persistent supply issues. The DPR also recommends preparing a detailed master plan supported by hydraulic mapping of the existing network. This integrated approach enables efficient implementation and facilitates replication and scaling in similar contexts.
Localized Water Security Planning
This attempts to contextualize the centralized water supply schemes and provide a framework for localizing the water supply plans to the local government levels. Major sources of drinking water, current issues in the water supply system and actual demand for drinking water is mapped out in the study area. Additionally, the challenges faced by the central water supply schemes in providing drinking water in difficult geographic terrains with varying issues in water quality issues, are also assessed. The long-term objective is to provide a better understanding of supply – demand for drinking water that will help the local administration better plan the water utilities.