Once the granary of Kannur, nine panchayats in Kattampally now look like a cemetery, owing to the flawed government move of installing a shutter right across Kattampally in 1966.
The justification given then was that the shutters would improve agriculture in the Kaipad land and that fishing could be trebled. But, this eventually killed agriculture and fishing. These were partially revived in 2009 when the shutter was opened and 1,000 acres of land were used for agriculture.
Now, real estate players, with political help, want the shutter closed permanently so that 3,000 acres of land could be used for business. There is a move to even kill the Kakkad river that was once the lifeline of Kannur.
Another problem is that right behind the shutter, some local people have put up a permanent fishing net with the help of some politicians. This prevents fishes from moving downstream where the eight other panchayats are located. The authorities concerned should take remedial steps immediately.
V. Devadas
Kannur