Kuttipuram: River Nila, which is the lone source of drinking water for Palakkad, Malappuram and Thrissur districts, is down to a trickle owing to poor south-west monsoon.
The drying up of the river during most part of the year, particularly in the summer months, has resulted in acute drinking water shortage in the three districts.
The water flow is now confined to the middle of the basin, like a thin ribbon. As the river water level remains low, wells on both the banks are running out of water.
Most households in the region face a water shortage. At mini Pampa, where river level normally rises up to 12 feet height, there’s only knee-level water now.