Vengidangu: Paddy cultivation in the Kole wetlands of Thrissur is under severe threat as saline water continues to seep into the fields here, raising alarm among farmers.

The salinity surge has escalated after the water level in the Enamakkal Phase Canal dropped below 40 cm. Polder committees and farmers point to the wilting vegetation in the Kole channels as the first visible warning. If this saline water is pumped into the fields, they fear the standing paddy crop will be ruined.

Over 10,000 acres in Mullassery, Vengidangu, and Tholoor rely on the canal system for irrigation. Although all shutters of the Enamakkal regulator have been closed, high tides are forcing saline water through gaps between these shutters , worsening the intrusion.

The situation is further aggravated by the delay in completing the ring bunds at Enammavu and Idyanchira, which would have helped prevent the inflow.

Farmers insist the only immediate remedy is to release additional freshwater from the Chimmini dam into the Phase Canal to dilute the salinity and save the crop.