Amidst concerns over the rising water level in Kuttanad caused by downpours and an increase in flow of water from the eastern side, the Alappuzha district administration has decided to regulate the functioning of 10 shutters of the Thanneermukkom bund.
Officials of the Irrigation department said on Wednesday that the shutters would be opened and closed according to high and low tides from April 7 to 12.
District Collector Renu Raj urged fishers to immediately shift fishing vessels and nets from both sides of the shutters.
The district has been receiving light to moderate showers over the past few days.
The decision to regulate the shutters was taken to prevent flooding of low-lying areas in Kuttanad and save 'puncha' crop (first crop) from getting submerged. The harvesting of paddy cultivated in 'puncha' crop season, which began in February, is going full throttle in Kuttanad and other parts of the district. The summer showers, however, have affected the process in several places and farmers are worried for their crops. The water level in Kuttanad rose by over one foot. Bund breaches and flooding of rice fields have been reported in the region in recent days.
Farmers have undertaken rice cultivation in 26,602 hectares (ha) spread across 587 padasekharams in the district, a major portion of which is in Kuttanad. Earlier, the sowing for 'puncha' season got delayed in several areas due to heavy downpours and floods that lashed the district in October-November last year. As a result, the harvest and procurement of paddy are set to go beyond the normal schedule into the first week of June.
The Irrigation department usually closes down the shutters of Thanneermukkom bund in December every year as an increase in salinity in the lake would be detrimental to paddy cultivation in Kuttanad. It opens the shutters again after the paddy harvest is completed in the region (March- April). Last year, the shutters were opened in May. The delay in the opening of the shutters caused by a late harvest of paddy had invited the wrath of fishermen and environmentalists back then. .
