Heavy rain that lashed the district in the past few days along with an increase in flow of water from the eastern side have inundated several areas in Kuttanad.
Although the rain subsided on Sunday, water level remains high in the Pampa and Manimala rivers. The outer bund of the 303-acre Perumanikkary Vadakke Thollayiram paddy polder at Champakulam was breached on Sunday. The field was being prepared for the upcoming ‘puncha’ cultivation. It is the third time in as many years the outer bund of the polder was breached. As many as 450 families living around the polder are now facing inundation. The outer bund of the Thaiparambu Thekku paddy polder at Veliyanad was breached on Saturday. The breach has been plugged.
Waterlogging
Waterlogging has been reported from Thalavady, Edathua, Thakazhi, and Veeyapuram. Floodwaters entered a number of houses and submerged several rural roads in the region affecting vehicular movement. Floodwaters also inundated parts of the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road.
Heavy rain has destroyed paddy in several fields and affected the harvest of the second crop. Farmers in the region paused the preparation of fields for the ‘puncha’ season due to incessant rain. Farmers fear the rise in water level would result in bund breaches and crop loss.
With more rain predicted in the coming days, officials said that they were keeping an eye on water levels in rivers in Kuttanad.
Agriculture Minister P. Prasad on Sunday visited flood-affected paddy fields in Kuttanad and took stock of the situation.
