The State government is implementing development projects worth ₹745 crore in Kuttanad and nearby areas, Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian has said.
He was speaking at a high-level meeting convened to discuss issues pertaining to the Kuttanad region at the Rice Research Station, Mankombu, on Tuesday.
Mr. Cherian said the government was trying to find lasting solutions to all major problems in Kuttanad with people’s participation in the next four-and-a-half years.
The meeting, attended by Agriculture Minister P. Prasad, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine and other officials, decided to deepen canals and strengthen outer bunds of paddy polders in the region. The Irrigation department will initiate measures to renovate spillway shutters at Thottappally. Dilapidated roads will be repaired.
The meeting also decided to complete land acquisition for the Kuttanad drinking project. Officials said the project work would commence in April 2022, with a completion deadline of two years.
Solving flooding
Measures to find a permanent solution to prevent frequent flooding in Kuttanad during the monsoon season, implementation of the second Kuttanad package, waterlogging caused by high tide in low-lying areas of Kuttanad, Aroor and Cherthala, among other issues, were discussed.
A district-level coordination committee, with District Collector A. Alexander as chairman and District Development Commissioner K.S. Anju as convener, has been constituted to oversee the implementation of development projects in Kuttanad.
Kuttanad MLA Thomas K. Thomas, Alappuzha district panchayat president K.G. Rajeshwari and various department heads are members of the committee. It will meet every month and review the progress of the project. Besides, ministerial-level review meetings will be held every three months.
Ahead of the meeting, Mr. Prasad and Mr. Augustine visited parts of Kuttanad and held discussions with farmers.
