Kuttanad Region
in the state of Kerala, South India, is the area with the lowest altitude in
India. This Region has an area of almost 500 square kilometers. It is one of
the few places in the world where paddy farming is carried out below sea level.
Torrential rain
water springs from the Western Ghats (Sahyadri Mountains and hills) descends
through four major Rivers - Achankovil, Pampa, Manimala and Meenachil, into the
Vembanad Lake in the Kuttanad Region. The 1252 meter long “Thanneermukkom Salt
Water Barrier” was constructed across the Vembanad Lake as a part of the
Kuttanad Development Scheme to prevent tidal action and intrusion of brine 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 a continuous chain of lagoons running parallel to the Arabian Sea
coast, with perennial brackish water entering through Kochi estuary and two
other estuaries further north, namely Crangannur and Chetwa; and the southern
portion of the Barrier with fresh water fed by the four rivers. This Barrier
has helped the farmers in the Kuttanad Region by freeing the area from
salinity, and facilitating cultivation of three paddy crops: Virippu, Mundakan and Puncha,
every year. It was believed that Kuttanad Region, the rice bowl of Kerala,
would make the state self-sufficient in its staple diet, rice/paddy.
Although the
Bund has initially improved the quality of life of farmers; the Barrier badly
affected the ecosystem; and it prevented natural cleansing of the rivers and
canals with brine, causing severe environmental problems. Unfortunately, the
authorities concerned did not realize that much of the nourishing food for the
plants in the rivers and the Vembanad Backwaters would be trapped by the
Barrier, and fish that used to eat those plants too suffered. Moreover, the
construction of Thanneermukkom Barrier and other dams in the Sahyadri Mountains
and hills like Edamalayar and Idukki Dams lessened fresh water availability at
the estuary regions, which made the Arabian Sea more salty and fewer fish could
survive in it. The depletion of fresh water in the Arabian Sea has affected the
quantity of fish. This in turn made the
fishermen who catch fish for their living suffer.
Presently, the
pollution level is very high in the Kuttanad Region. The River Pampa carries in
its course all waste materials from Sabarimala in the Sahyadri Mountains, where
a popular holy shrine is located. Devotees throng each season to worship Lord
Ayyapan. Here sanitation facilities for pilgrims are comparatively poor. The
river is highly polluted due to this.
Large amounts of waste materials including human excreta and toxic waste
deposition and non-biodegradable waste like plastic is high in this region as
River Pamba joins Vembanad Lake at this point. Another aggravating problem in
the Kuttanad Area is lack of properly designed sanitation system. The number of
households having proper sanitation facilities in this Region is few. This leads to pollution of backwater in
this area. Stagnation of water bodies is
yet another matter for serious concern due to the construction of new roads and
land formations without any foresight.
Large hectares
of land are under paddy cultivation in the Kuttanad Area. The agriculturists
use a lot of chemical fertilizers and toxic pesticides on a large scale.
Presence of toxic waste in the rivers, canals and backwaters is causing a
serious threat to the environment and gravely upset the ecological balance.
Severe degradation of the aquatic environment led to health hazards of people
inhabiting in this area. It is significant to have access to adequate potable
water, a basic human right. The number of medical cases reported including
epidemic break-outs and cancers are high in this Region.
Thanneermukkom
Bund has disrupted the harmony of Arabian Sea with the Vembanad Backwaters and
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 fishermen casting their nets in the delta regions like “Kumbalam, the
God’s Own Island,” and its adjacent and
adjoining delta areas. Reclamation of
ponds, canals and paddy fields, blocking natural streams and closing large
drains is also causing damage to the environment.
Vembanad, the second largest brackish-water lake in India, stretches over
24,000 hectares in area and contributes to over 50% of the total area of
backwaters in Kerala, forms a significant component of coastal ecosystem due to
their immense biodiversity values in aquatic ecology and socio-economic
services to coastal population. Vembanad Lake provides a
habitat for many of decapods crustaceans as breeding and nursery
grounds. Crustacean fishery is one of the major resources of Indian estuaries
that include the commercially important shrimps, prawns and crabs. The Bund
prevented the migration of shoal of fish from salt water (Arabian Sea) into
fresh water (Kuttanad Region,) and vice-versa for spawning, growth and
development and thereby causing depletion in quantity of fish. Some fish like
Pearl Spot (Karimeen) and Giant Fresh
Water Prawn (Konch) lay their eggs in
brackish water. Likewise, varied fish in brine like Sea Prawn and Indian Oil
Sardine that used to come to the backwaters as part of the ‘Chakara,’ laid their eggs in fresh water.
It is,
therefore, suggested that the government may consider and open Thanneermukkom
Bund/Barrier 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
may also make earnest efforts to invent or develop salt resistant paddy
varieties for cultivation in Kuttanad Region.
This will, no doubt, reduce pollution levels and help in the growth and
development of fish in the common pool, the Vembanad Lake and its estuary
regions at the mouths of the Arabian Sea.
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