The 2020-2021 State Budget has earmarked ₹20 crore as additional assistance for river rejuvenation projects in the State. By the end of the 2020-21 fiscal, canals for a combined length of 50,000 km will be cleaned, Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac said.
The government also hopes to recharge 50,000 wells and renovate or dig 25,000 ponds. He cited the Meenachal river project in Kottayam and the Killiyar rejuvenation scheme in Thiruvananthapuram district as prominent examples of this initiative.
Canals and rivers for a length of 1,450 km have already been cleaned. As much as 4,000 acres of fallow land was brought under cultivation, Dr. Isaac said.
In the current financial year, the government will provide new water connections to 2.5 lakh households in the State. The Budget has earmarked ₹675 crore for the Kerala Water Authority (KWA).
