The people of Kerala and Water Issue

Abstract
The people of Kerala are a perfect source of information to facilitate the identification of the water shortage incidence in the area. The people can also provide adequate as well as accurate information related to the incidence of water shortage across the area. In so doing, the people can facilitate the generation of effective research findings, solutions, and recommendations to address the water shortage problem in the area. To complete the data collection process, the people were approached through an NGO active in the efforts to improve water accessibility for the residents of Kerala. Since the NGO has a notable level familiarity with the people and their challenges, it was used to help in the identification of research participants. The NGO’s guidance was utilized to make sure that all categories of residents were considered regardless of economic ability, literacy, or location from water points. Data was collected using open-ended questions that allowed respondents to detail any concerns and insights related to the water problem in Kerala. A thematic analysis approach will be utilized to analyze the collected data.
Keywords: kelala, water, accessibility, shortage, data.
Kerala Contaminated Water Issue
To access the people of Kerala, the NGO that was currently involved in the efforts to enable the people to access clean water was used. The NGO was mainly used to identify the people that were registered to their program. Also, the NGO facilitated the classification of participants to make sure that the data was collected from all categories of residents.

For instance, the NGO had profiled residents according to their need for water (Raphael et al., 2018, p61). Using the resident profiles developed by the NGO, the research was sure to identify all the categories of residents that it would need to consider to acquire a perfect overview of the need for water in Kerala. The NGO also acted as a guide during the data collection process to make sure that residents were considered depending on their ability to analyze and interpret the water issue. The NGO was also involved in identifying the relevance of research findings about their analysis and interpretation of the situation.
Data Collection Questions
The main data collection questions included the following:
How can you describe the water shortage incidence faced by Kerala residents based on your own experiences?
How has the water shortage incidence affected you as an individual?
Which efforts can you associate with cases of improved water access across Kerala?
What can you say about the efforts of the government and NGOs to improve access to clean water across Kerala? Do you think they have been successful?
Depending on your answer above, why do you think the efforts to improve water access in Kerala have or not been successful?
What can you advise NGOs and the government to consider to enhance the effectiveness of their efforts in improving water access across Kerala?
Question 1
The question about the water shortage incidence across Kerala was aimed at acquiring an overview of the residents’ experiences. The water shortage across Kerala was described by residents as a major issue. First of all, 100% of the residents stated that they have experienced water shortage in the past and expect to face the same issue in future since they feel that there have not been many efforts to address it (Nadaraja, Puthiyaveettil, and Bhaskaran, 2015, 59). All study participants also claimed that although there are times when the efforts to address the water shortage issue in the area, their impact does not last for long to change the situation across Kerala. Residents also claimed that they are often faced with the challenge of accessing clean water. In such cases, the water available for the residents can only be used for general chores but not in activities such as cooking or drinking. As a result, residents are forced to seek clean water across long distances still. In summary, the water shortage incidence across Kerala affects close to 100 percent of the residents. With such information, water shortage is an extensive issue in Kerala and requires efforts by the government and NGOs to address.
Question 2
The question was used to collect data on how the issue of water shortage had affected the respondents. Based on the data acquired from the interviews, residents associated the issue with economic and social challenges. To begin, the people claimed that water problems tended to increase the cost of living (Nadaraja, Puthiyaveettil, and Bhaskaran, 2015, 59). At times when they are faced with water shortage, residents claimed that they are forced to incur additional costs to access water. Some residents reported that they have to hire other people to offer water transport services, which increases their daily spending. Other participants claimed that they are forced to use more powerful means of transport, which increases the cost of moving water to their residential areas. Also, other participants reported that they are forced to spend more time in the water acquisition process, which denies them the opportunity to engage in economic activities. In such cases, the income of residents is negatively affected, which affects their economic ability as well as living standards.
Besides increasing the cost of living among residents, the shortage of water was reported to make it difficult for residents to engage in other essential day-to-day activities. For instance, some residents argued that they are forced to convince their children to miss school so that they can help with transporting water to the households. Such incidences affect the literacy levels of some children across Kerala (Govind and Babu, 2017, 3). Further, residents reported that they experience a lot of fatigue when they transport water across long distances. In situations where the residents are forced to carry water over long distances, they may injure some body parts such as the back. In other occasions, too much fatigue makes the residents weak and unable to engage in crucial day-to-day activities. In such occurrences, the health of the residents is negatively affected. Also, the shortage of clean water contributes to water-borne diseases among the people.
Question 3
The efforts that residents of Kerala reported facilitating the improvement of water access across the area include construction of dams, provision of water harvesting resources, and digging boreholes. Participants reported that the government has in various occasions constructed dams to enhance the collection of flowing water. The dams provide water for a considerable period of time after the rain season, which makes it easier for the residents to access water (Nadaraja, Puthiyaveettil, and Bhaskaran, 2015, 59). Similarly, boreholes facilitate the access to underground water during dry seasons. The boreholes make sure that the dry season does not pose a major water issue to the residents of Kerala. Further, efforts have been made by NGOs to provide materials for water harvesting and storage across Kerala. Water harvesting from the roofs during the rainy season increases the amount of water the residents have in store to use after the rains are gone. Storing water also reduces the period of time that residents have to transport water over long distances. At times, the government was reported to initiate water treatment projects, which enables the residents to access clean water.
Question 4 and 5
The efforts to improve water access among the people of Kerala were described by the residents as unsuccessful in eliminating the issue across the area. Residents agreed that the government and NGOs have in various occasions made notable progress in reducing the incidence of water shortage across Kerala. However, the residents argue that the efforts are often degraded by a number of factors (Govind and Babu, 2017, 3). First of all, the poor management of the involved projects has contributed to the failure of the efforts to address the water shortage issue in Kerala. In such context, the residents cited that boreholes only function for a limited period of time and are abandoned due to damaged machines or unpaid bills. Dams, on the other hand, are left unmanaged, and the accumulation of sand reduces the amount of water they can store for the people of Kerala. Based on the responses, poor management was a major contributor to the failure of projects initiated to provide water across Kerala.
Question 6
Residents argued that the government and NGOs should conduct research across Kerala and identify the specific issues contributing to water shortage. Participants claimed that projects often fail due to similar mistakes (Govind and Babu, 2017, 3). As a result, they thought that it was essential for the parties to coordinate efforts to ensure that the factors responsible for past failures are avoided in new projects. Similarly, the residents argued that they ought to be involved in the implementation and planning of projects related to the improvement of water access in the region. By involving them, the residents claimed that they could identify measures that are more effective than others and facilitate the success of projects (Govind and Babu, 2017, 5). The residents reported that the cost of implementing new projects could be reduced by initiating cooperation between the government and the NGOs involved in improving water across Kerala. In so doing, the residents argued that both parties can combine financial and human resources to develop long-lasting solutions to the water problem in the area.
Data Analysis
Analyzing the data collected from residents will be done using a thematic analysis approach. The technique will make it possible to identify the key factors associated with the water shortage problem across Kerala. In each question, the trend portrayed by most respondents will be concluded as possessing a more significant impact on the issue of water inaccessibility in Kerala (Raphael et al., 2018, 63). For instance, if most participants associate the failure of projects with poor management, then the research will present it as a major factor determining the success of water provision projects in the area. Also, the common trends identified from the data will be used to generalize the perceptions and opinions of the Kerala people.
Bibliography
Govind, M. and Babu, A., 2017. Community Participation or Manufactured Consent? Strategies for Implementation of Drinking Water Project ‘Jalanidhi’in Kerala (India). International Journal of Rural Management, 13(1), pp.1-19.
Nadaraja, A.V., Puthiyaveettil, P.G., and Bhaskaran, K., 2015. Surveillance of perchlorate ingroundwater, surface water and bottled water in Kerala, India. Journal of Environmental Health Science and Engineering, 13(1), p.56.
Raphael, B., Catherin, N., Navya, C.J. and Saju, C.R., 2018. International Journal of Current Research and Academic Review. Int. J. Curr. Res. Aca. Rev, 6(4), pp.59-64.