ALAPPUZHA: Murali, a 64-year-old farmer from Kainakari, said water level had reached above eight feet in Kuppapuram during the August 16-20 period and it continued till August 25.“Now the water level has gone down so drastically. In many areas, people can’t get down from boats. In flood time, the same situation prevailed because the boats were five-six feet above the ramp level. The KSWTD had constructed the jetties based on previous years’ flood. But it recorded the highest and lowest levels this year,” Murali said.
Agriculture scientist K G Padmakumar, who is the director of International Research and Training Centre for Below Sea Level Farming, said, “The water channels connecting with Vembanad Lake and Arabian Sea were opened due to flood. Heavy current was recorded in all areas of rivers and lakes’ outlets. The lake bed was cleaned in the current and the silt deposited in the bed were washed away in flood water. It created the speedy flow of water from lake.”
“In addition, facilities like Thottappally spillway and Thanneermukkom bund were opened to release water. The channels connecting the two were cleaned after sand was removed. It may be the reason for the speedy evacuation of water from lake,” he said.
“An average of 45-50 cm was the water level during low tides in the lake over the past many decades. But it has come down to 24-30 cm during low tide on Friday and Saturday. It had never happened earlier. At the same time, the sea is calm after flood and the sea is receiving more water from the lake is reducing the water level,” said Padmakumar.