Irrigation department begins lowering shutters of Thanneermukkom bund

The Irrigation department has begun closing down the shutters of the Thanneermukkom bund to prevent the intrusion of brackish water into Kuttanad.

Officials of the Irrigation department said here on Wednesday that they had started lowering shutters with the process expected to be completed by January 3. “We have closed 67 shutters as of Wednesday evening. All the 90 shutters of the barrage and four locks will be closed by Friday,” said an Irrigation department official.

A meeting of the advisory committee on regulating the shutters of the barrage convened by District Collector Alex Varghese on Tuesday decided to down all shutters. “The advisory committee decided to close the shutters after taking into account the needs and suggestions of farmers and local fishers. After closing all shutters, they will be regulated if necessary, considering the weather and other conditions,” said an official. Inland fishers and clam collectors oppose the decision to close the shutters of the Thanneermukkom bund.

The department usually closes the shutters by December 15 every year as an increase in salinity in the lake would be detrimental to paddy cultivation in Kuttanad. This year, however, the lowering of the shutters was delayed following heavy rain and a rise in water level in recent times.

Seawater intrusion through the Thanneermukkom bund, which began in November, and the subsequent rise in water levels have adversely affected paddy cultivation in several places in the Kuttanad region. The sudden increase in water levels in the mornings due to high tide and a fall in the water level in the evenings in low tide had resulted in several bund breaches. Earlier this week, the outer bund of Kizhake Vellisrakkal paddy polder under the Veliayanad Krishi Bhavan in Kuttanad collapsed following a rise in water level and submerged 60-day-old standing crops in the 87-acre polder. Before that, the outer bund of Edakaruka Nalu Nalpathu paddy polder under the Champakulam Krishi Bhavan collapsed and submerged 40-day-old standing crops in the 425-acre polder.

After the paddy harvest is completed, the department is expected to fully open the gates again in March.