The Irrigation department has begun closing down the shutters of Thanneermukkom bund to prevent the intrusion of brackish water into Kuttanad.
A meeting chaired by District Collector John V. Samuel on Friday decided to down all the 90 shutters of the barrage. Officials of the Irrigation department said they had started lowering shutters with the process expected to be completed by Monday.
The department usually closes the shutters by December 15 every year as an increase in salinity in the lake would be detrimental to paddy cultivation in Kuttanad. The department opened the gates again on March 15 after the paddy harvest was completed. This year, however, the lowering of the shutters was delayed following heavy rain in recent times.
Earlier, a rise in water level in Kuttanad caused by the intrusion of brackish water through the barrage adversely affected field preparation activities in the region. Along with downpours, the sudden increase in water level in the mornings due to high tide and a fall in the level of water in the evenings in low tide resulted in a couple of bund breaches last month.
