PATHANAMTHITTA: In a fillip to the relaunch of paddy cultivation programme in Aranmula puncha, which was partly filled for the defunct airport project, a sanghamam of farmers of Mallappauzhassery village will be held near Aranmula Tharayil Junction on Monday, to make an open delcaration of their willingness to participate in the programme.
At the sanghamam of the 100-odd paddy farmers of Mallapapuzhassery village, particularly Thekkebhagom area of the puncha, nodal officer of the Aranmula paddy relaunch programme D Sajeev will present the consent papers.
P Prasad, environmentalist and one of the leaders of the Aranmula anti-airport agitation movement, will deliver the introductory address.
The farmers of the Thekkebhagam paddy field, sprawling over 70 acres of land which remained unused for the last two decades, will seek assistance for initiating paddy cultivation.
The farmers urgently need assistance for the Agriculture Department for the removal, collection and proper disposal of the huge weed deposits at the puncha, a leading paddy farmer Uthaman Kurunthar said.
“Renovation and rejuvenation of the four important major ponds located at Thekkebhagom puncha are needed for the smooth cultivation of paddy," he said. As the puncha remained unused for the past two decades and water flow through the streams, particularly Karimaranthodu, still remain choked, active intervention of Government authorities is needed, Uthaman Kurunthar said.