The rise in water level caused by the ingress of brackish water due to high tide has adversely affected the field preparation activities and paddy sowing for the ‘puncha’ (first) crop season in Kuttanad.
The saline water intrusion through the Thanneermukkom barrage, which began last week continued on Sunday. Water entered several fields, including those with rice saplings. Farmers said that recent heavy downpours, which resulted in an increase in the flow of floodwaters from the eastern side aggravated the situation.
At Munduthodu- Polathuruthu paddy polder at Veeyapuram, farmers stopped sowing midway following a rise in the water table. Farmers of Vallyadi paddy polder under Veliyanad Krishi Bhavan were forced to delay sowing after the outer bund of the field breached on Saturday. Outer bunds of at least three more paddy polders collapsed in Kuttanad in recent days.
In areas like Nedumudi and Kavalam, water levels reached above the danger level a couple of days ago but the situation has since improved slightly. Farmers fear the sudden increase in water level in the mornings due to high tide would result in more bund breaches as several are in a weakened state. The rise in the water table has also affected the harvest of the additional (second) crop in some areas, which is inching closer to completion.
Besides threatening rice cultivation, water has entered several house premises and inundated rural roads in the region.
Farmer bodies, meanwhile, urged the district administration to initiate immediate steps to regulate the shutters of Thanneermukkon bund according to high and low tides to prevent the intrusion of water into Kuttanad. The Irrigation department normally down shutters of the bund in a phased manner from December 15. ..
