Failed monsoons have led to an acute scarcity of water Drinking water rationing is being considered in Kerala, the land of 44 rivers. Acute scarcity of drinking water has gripped most of the districts in the State, and the authorities may ration the quantity of drinking water for each household. The situation may turn worse during the peak summer months when most of the drinking water sources either dry up or are reduced to a trickle, it is feared. Kerala has not faced a drought situation of this gravity in its recent history. The failed southwest and northeast monsoons have thrust upon the State a severe shortage of drinking water. The rain scarcity from the failed northeast monsoon reached 37 per cent last week, experts monitoring the situation said. Water kiosk The authorities have proposed the opening of water kiosks in all local bodies in the State. The concept forms part of drought mitigation measures. The idea is to establish a simple kiosk with a water storage tank of 5,000-litre capacity at the behest of the local bodies. The Kerala Water Authority will replenish the kiosk at regular intervals. The panchayat shall appoint a person for dispensing drinking water, and the families shall be supplied one pot drinking water a day from the point. The local bodies will be extended financial support from the State Disaster Response Fund for the project. A decision on opening the kiosks will be left to the Ministers in charge of each district and the district administration, it was suggested. Drought situation The drinking water scarcity has affected Palakkad, Kasaragod, Malappuram, Kollam, Ernakulam, and rural Thiruvananthapuram the most, an assessment made at a meeting last week to take stock of the drought situation showed. Drinking water for around 80 days is left in the State capital. The District Collector of Kollam has stopped power production from the Thenmala dam, and ordered the use of water from the reservoir for drinking water and agricultural purposes. Kochi faces twin disadvantages as the reduced volume of water in the Periyar may dry up the water supply pipelines, besides inviting saline water into its freshwater system. Palakkad faces a loss of around 70 per cent of its agriculture as the mercury levels are soaring. In the Central Kerala region, Kottayam is in a much safer position, the experts said. The State has nothing much to hope from the summer showers, which account for nearly 20 per cent of the rain share of the northeast monsoon, as the rainfall is often erratic. Even if it rains heavily, it may not be sufficient to compensate for the scarcity, disaster management experts said. Authorities propose opening of water kiosks in all local bodies in the State Panchayat will appoint a person to dispense drinking water; families to get one pot a day