600 people held in Alappuzha camp as repair of bund not over

ALAPPUZHA: The residents of Kanakassery paddy polders are in deep trouble due to the government's failure to strengthen the outer bunds.

As many as 600 residents, who have been displaced by the bund breach at Kuttamangalam last week, can hope to return only after doing maintenance and completing the dewatering work.

The Padasekhara Samithy, which is administering the work, says it will take several days to finish the work. A total of 25 people are working in the 21-ft-deep water under the leadership of Mathimathan, a local bund- making expert, to mend the breached bund.

Thousands of sand-filled bags were being transported from Punnamada jetty in barges to Kuttamangalam. Since the place is very deep, the work is going on at a slow pace.

This is the second time in a row the bund was breached. Crops in the entire area was destroyed when Kanakassery bund, which secures three paddy polders - Kanakassery, Valiyakari and Meenapally- spans over 750 acres, was breached. Last year’s breach had submerged it for at least a month.

Though water has started receding now, the local residents and Padasekhara  committee members have demanded a stronger  outer bund with pile and slab  technology like in the Kuttanad package.

Shibu, hailing from Kuttamangalam and father of two graduate children, said they had been living in their relative’s house for several days. “Our house is still in water. Without having a proper bund and pumping works, we cannot return there,” Mr Shibu said.

The Padasekhara Samithy accused the government and bureaucrats of aborting projects like Kuttanad package. They will not launch cultivation next time if the government does not come up with an  outer bund to protect the paddy polders and surrounding settlements, he said.

If there  is a bund breach in one Padasekharam, it will inundate all the three paddy polders. If there is a strong outer bund, the crops can be protected. Crops are cultivated every year when dewatering is done in time, said Ronald G.  vice- president of the Kanakassery Padase-kharam committee.

The committee collects at least Rs10,000 per acre every season to strengthen the bunds in their respective areas. But it is insufficient.

K.K. Sudheesh, another farmer in the area, said Kuttanad remains backward due to the corrupt administration. “The bureaucrats will never care for the farmers,” he said. “For instance,  the project under Kuttanad package was given to a big company. They will give it to a sub-contractor. When the project is implemented, it will be the third or fourth contractor and the funds will go through many hands. Only one-third will be spent for the project from the actual allocation.” This is the way the system works, Mr Sudheesh pointed out..

Jyothi  Shiju of Ettintemoola, Kuttamangalam, said the breach had affected 600 families. “What we need is a proper outer bund,” Jyothi, who is staying in a camp at Alappuzha, said.     

C.K. Maniyan, pumping contractor of the Padasekharam, said that they could operate pumps only after the bund works were competed. If the government had spent money on building bunds,  the unnecessary expenses every year could have been avoided. The government had allocated Rs1000 crore for Kuttanad,  but nothing has been spent here so far,” he said.