Nedumbassery: Farmers in the Kunnukara and Parakkadavu panchayats are in deep concern as saline water from the backwaters may enter their lands following a defect in the shutter of the Kanakkankadavu regulator-cum-bridge. If salt water reaches the Chalakudy River, it will make its way into the Manjali canal through branch canals; hence, farmers in panchayats including Nedumbassery are also on the brink of panic.

Paddy farming across hundreds of hectares of fields in Kunnukara and Parakkadavu panchayats, as well as crops such as coconut, plantain/banana, vegetables, and nutmeg, depend entirely on water from the Chalakudy River. As the water used for agriculture also replenishes the drinking water in household wells in the area, the intrusion of salt water will render the well water unusable.

Hundreds of pump motors operate on both banks of the Chalakudy River for farming and related needs. These include pump houses belonging to the Irrigation Department as well as private individuals. If saline water enters, it will result in large-scale crop damage in these two panchayats in the initial phase, and in Nedumbassery and Chengamanad panchayats in the subsequent phase.

Generally, the Chalakudy River is suffering from deficient rainfall. Not much water reached the river this season.

Due to construction defects, one of the shutters on the Kanakkankadavu bridge has malfunctioned. Even if the defect is rectified and the shutter is lowered, water still flows back and forth between the river and the backwaters. The deterioration of the concrete wall beneath the shutter is the reason for this. Although granite boulders were laid down as a remedy for the damaged concrete wall, it proved futile, as water seeps through between the stones.

The constant outflow of water from the river into the backwaters is causing the water level in the river to recede. During high tide, when the water level rises in the backwaters, salt water flows into the Chalakudy River. For now, farmers are somewhat relieved that the rate of salt water intrusion remains very low. However, farmers point out that if the water level in the river drops any further, saline water will mix into the river in substantial quantities.

Meanwhile, construction work on a sand bund at Kanakkankadavu has begun to prevent salt water intrusion from the backwaters. However, there is a high likelihood that the sand bund will be washed away if the Thulaam rains (Northeast Monsoon) intensify. There is also an opinion that it would be better to construct the sand bund after the intensity of the Northeast Monsoon subsides.

Farmers have demanded that the authorities take necessary steps, stressing that permanently rectifying the defects of the Kanakkankadavu shutter is the only lasting solution to the issue. The Kanakkankadavu bridge and its shutters were constructed in 1999. Since then, no maintenance work has been carried out on the shutters. A demand has been raised calling for urgent measures to repair the shutters.