Kerala - Kozhikode   

New project to develop kole land

KOZHIKODE: A major project for the development of kole lands in the district got off to a start with Finance Minister T.M. Thomas Isaac inaugurating the Rs.5.5-crore Velam-Ayyanchery kole land scheme at Thullatumnada on Saturday. District panchayat president K.P. Kunahmmedkutty said the project to make cultivable 2,654 hectares of waterlogged land would be a boon for farmers. Seven sites were identified for the project, the feasibility report of which was prepared by the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM). The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) would fund the project. The Kerala Land Development Corporation would be the implementing agency.

Of the seven sites, Rs.15.5 crore has been sanctioned for the Cherandathur Chera (560 hectares), Velam-Ayyanchery (550 hectares) and Avalapandi (635 hectares).

The other sites for which funding is being sought were Nadayakam Kappu (166 hectares), Karuvode (250 hectares), Veliyannurchalli (196 hectares) and Akalapuzha (237 hectares).

CWRDM scientist V.P. Dineshan said an additional 1,128 hectares would be available for cultivation. The fields, noted for high productivity, remained waterlogged and one or two crops were cultivated there earlier. With the implementation of the project, round-the-year cultivation would be possible. The project involved de-silting canals, dredging new ones, bund-construction and the like to ensure that cultivation was not stopped because of water logging. There was also need to prevent entry of salt water from the Kuttiyadi river as the kole lands were below the river level, Mr. Kunahmmedkutty said.

Agriculture Minister Mullakkara Ratnakaran will inaugurate the Cherandathur Chera project on November 18.

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