Naduvannur: Complaints are mounting over delays in cleaning the canal ahead of the scheduled release of water from the Kuttiyadi Irrigation Project. Farmers and local residents who depend on canal water are growing increasingly anxious as the delay continues.

The main canals and its distributaries supplying water to several parts of the district are choked with vegetation, soil and debris. Cleaning work, which was meant to be carried out under the employment guarantee scheme, has not been conducted for the past four years. The recurring nature of canal maintenance has come as a major hurdle in this.

In earlier years, clearing work on the canals would be completed by mid-January, and water would be released by the end of the month. However, in recent years, the release has been postponed until the end of February. Meanwhile, in some areas, canal beds are being concreted to prevent water leakage. But due to incomplete preparatory work, plants along the canal banks have grown into large trees, causing erosion and collapse of the banks. There is a growing demand to increase the fund being allotted for canal renovation to ensure proper maintenance.

Following the Makaram season harvest, sowing of the puncha crop, which require a growth period of 90–120 days, relies entirely on canal water. Delays in opening the canals not only postpone sowing but also risk pushing the harvest into the monsoon season. Canal water also supplements groundwater, as it helps maintain adequate water levels in wells.