Although the flood situation remains grim in Kuttanad, the move to demolish the earthen embankment in the middle of the backwater as part of the third phase of construction of the Thanneermukkom bund is making little progress.
Officials said that of the 450 metres-long bund, only 50 metres had been demolished so far. They said said that a lack of decision regarding the ownership of the embankment’s sand had delayed the demolition.
Both the Thanneermukkom and Vechoor grama panchayats have made a claim over the 1.5 lakh cubic metres of earth to be removed as part of the demolition of the embankment, which resulted in a stand-off between the local bodies and the contractor.
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K.C. Venugopal MP said that the earth bund had added to the misery in Kuttanad and Thanneermukkom. Meanwhile, the water has entered 14,000 houses in Thanneermukkom grama panchayat after Vembanad lake breached its banks.
As many as 16,000 people have been shifted to relief camps in different parts of Cherthala.