ALAPPUZHA: The 20th century ‘sethubandhan’ is set to become history with the demolition of the longest mud bund in India constructed in 1975. The Thanneermukkom bund across the Vembanad lake was constructed about 43 years ago to prevent the intrusion of salt water and facilitate farming in the fertile soil of Kuttanad. With the construction of the bund, Kuttanad became the rice bowl of Kerala and the ‘below sea level farming method’ became a unique model in the world.
Now, the Irrigation Department is set to demolish the mud bund connecting the first and second stages of the concrete bund for the commissioning of the third stage of the concrete bund. The mud bund is an example of the willpower of the farmers of Kuttanad.
When even the engineers of the Irrigation Department expressed concern over the construction of a mud embankment, the farmers of Kuttanad took up the challenge. A farmers’ committee, led by former Nedumudi panchayat president Kunchappan Koshy, created history in 21 days by constructing a 550m-long mud bund in the mid portion of the lake preventing the flow of water.