ALAPPUZHA: Incessant rain and intrusion of saline water have destroyed about 1000-acres of pokkali paddy cultivation in the Northern parts of the district. Paddy cultivation in Aroor, Ezhupunna, Kodamthuruth and Thuravoor panchayats have incurred heavy losses.
The farmers started cultivation in the pokkali land after the District Administration and the Agricultural Department took the initiative ofimplementing the policy of the state government to conduct ‘one season fish farming and one season paddy farming’ in the pokkali lands in the district.
Vijayan, a farmer from Ezhupunna said that, “We carried out farming after flushing out salt from the pokkali farms. Due to tidal action, salt water from the lake has penetrated the outer bunds of the paddy polders. The farmers have been asking the Irrigation Department to construct strong bunds to prevent the tidal effect, but they are not ready to do so”. Vijayan said.
Strong Bunds
Pokkali Samrakshana Samithi general convener Francis Kalathunakal said that the activists of the samithi and farmers stressed the need to construct strong outer bunds using granite rubble in the meeting of the Coal Land Development Agency on August 2, but the Irrigation Department has not evinced any interest so far, he said. Francis said that, “More than 300 houses at Nariyandi in Neendakara have been affected due to saline water intrusion. This will affect the strength of the walls of the houses”. He asked the government to allot financial assistance to the farmers and house owners who have suffered losses.