The rising water level, caused by seawater intrusion due to high tide, keeps paddy farmers on their toes in Kuttanad.
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Seawater ingress through Thanneermukkom barrage, a recurring problem at this time of year, has adversely affected the ongoing harvest of the paddy cultivated in additional (second) crop season and field preparation activities for the upcoming ‘puncha’ (first) crop season. Besides, intermittent heavy showers coupled with an increase in flow of floodwaters from the eastern side added to the farmers’ woes.
According to farmers, water has entered several fields in the region in recent days. Water level in the region started to rise a week ago. Water would rise around one foot in the mornings due to high tide and it would recede in the evenings. Farmers fear the sudden increase in water level in the mornings due to high tide would result in bund breaches. The intrusion of seawater is increasing salinity in the Vembanad Lake, which will be detrimental to paddy cultivation in Kuttanad.
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Though water level decreased slightly on Wednesday, the overall situation remains worrisome. A number of padasekhara samitis who started dewatering of paddy fields for the ‘puncha’ crop season have temporarily halted the process due to higher water levels.
Besides threatening rice cultivation, water has entered several house premises and inundated a number of rural roads in the region.
Farmers who cultivated paddy in the additional crop season have suffered losses in torrential downpours that lashed the region last month. After the initial postponement, harvest of the crop began in the region on October 6. Farmers have undertaken paddy farming on 8,765 hectares in the additional season in the district, a major portion of which is in Kuttanad. In several fields, the average yield dropped to 1.5 tonnes per acre from 2.5 tonnes in the previous seasons.
Paddy farmers are also enraged over the delay on the part of the government in releasing the procurement price.