Kuttanad region in the state of Kerala is the
area with the lowest altitude in India, with almost 500 square kilometers of
the region. It is one of the few places in the world where paddy farming is
carried out below sea level. Four major rivers, Achankovil, Pampa, Manimala and
Meenachil flow into the Kuttanad region.
The 1252 meter long “Thannermukkom Salt Water
Barrier or Bund” was constructed across the Vembanad Lake as a part of the
Kuttanad Development Scheme to prevent tidal action and intrusion of salt water
into the Kuttanad lowlands during summer. It is the largest mud regulator in
India. This barrier essentially divides the Vembanad Lake into two parts – the
northern portion with perennial brackish water and the southern part with fresh
water fed by the rivers draining into the lake. This barrier has helped the
farmers in Kuttanad by freeing the area of salinity, facilitating the
cultivation of three paddy crops, Virippu,
Mundakan and Puncha, in a year. It was believed that the Kuttanad region, the
rice bowl of Kerala, would make the state self-sufficient in its staple diet,
rice or paddy. Although the bund has improved the quality of life of the
farmers, the barrier badly affected the ecosystem; it prevented natural
cleaning of the rivers and canals with salt water, and has caused severe
environmental problems.
Earlier, the brine from the Arabian Sea used
to cleanse the water in the Kuttanad region. At present, the pollution level is
very high. The River Pampa carries all the waste materials from Sabarimala and
elsewhere in its course. The large amount of waste including toxic waste and
human excreta deposition and non-biodegradable waste such as plastic, in this
region is more because River Pamba joins Vembanad Lake at this point. The most
aggravating among the region’s problems is the lack of properly designed
sanitation system in Kuttanad. The number of households having proper
sanitation facilities in this Region is very few. This leads to pollution of
the water streams in the area. Stagnation of water bodies is another cause for
the poor sanitary conditions in the region. This is mainly due to construction
of new roads and land formations without any foresight.
Large hectares of land are under paddy
cultivation in Kuttanad area. The agriculturists use a lot of chemical
fertilizers and toxic pesticides on a large scale. The presence of toxic waste
in the rivers, canals and backwaters is causing a serious threat to the
environment and upset the ecological balance in the Kuttanad region. Severe
degradation of the aquatic environment led to health hazards to the people in
this area. It is significant to have potable water access, a basic human right.
The number of medical cases reported including epidemic break-outs and cancers
are higher in this region.
The bund has disrupted the harmony of the
Arabian Sea with the Vembanad Backwaters and the rivers and has caused
unforeseen problems like the lush growth of floating weeds or algae, on the
surface of stagnant water bodies, like African ‘Payal’ and ‘Katapa Payal’,
water hyacinth. These algae which are thrown out of the paddy fields in
Kuttanad region during the monsoon season, have become a menace to the
fishermen casting their nets in the delta region like Kumbalam, and its
adjacent and adjoining places. Reclamation
of ponds, canals and paddy fields, blocking natural streams and closing large
drains is also causing damage to the environment.
Moreover, the Bund prevented the migration of
shoal of fish from the salt water (Arabian Sea) into the fresh water (Kuttanad
region), and vice-versa for spawning, growth and development and thereby
causing depletion in the quantity of fish. Some fish like the Pearl Spot (Karimeen) and Giant Fresh Water Prawn (Konch) lay their eggs in brackish water.
Likewise, a lot of fish in brine like Sea Prawn (Naran Chemmeen) and ‘Chala’, Indian
Oil Sardine that used to come to the backwaters as part of the ‘Chakara’, laid their eggs in fresh
water.
I humbly suggest that the government should
open the Thanneermukkom Bund on an experimental basis, to counteract the effect
of toxic waste and other pollution levels by allowing brine to enter the canals
and streams in the Kuttanad region. The paddy research stations at Mankombu and
other areas should also make earnest efforts to invent or develop salt
resistant paddy varieties for cultivation in the Kuttanad region. This will help in the growth and development
of fish in the common pool, the Vembanad Lake.
Excerpts from
NEED OF THE HOUR
by
Joseph J. Thayamkeril
Lawyer, Kochi, Kerala, India.
josephjthayamkeril.blogspot.com
josephjthayamkeril@gmail.com
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