The city of Kochi is one of the fastest-growing urban centers in the country and is the commercial capital of Kerala. With 74 wards, the Municipal Corporation is the most densely populated one in the state and faces many challenges in the water sector, ranging from inadequate water distribution network, depleting groundwater quantity and quality to increasing water pollution, population growth and changing land use patterns that result in loss or depletion of water resources.

In this regard, a Water Audit for the city was coordinated by the Centre for Heritage, Environment and Development with the support of Water Institute of SCMS School of Engineering and Technology. Water audit is an important resource management tool to reduce misuse or overuse of water and for the effective conservation of the sources. The audit has revealed that more than half of the households in Kochi have insufficient water for household use. The audit has also brought to fore how contaminated the ground water in the area under the Kochi Municipal Corporation is. Protection and conservation of water resources have been highlighted as a remedy.