Kadalundi: With authorities failing to close the bund at the Attumkunnatthu regulator, residents of the Mannur Vadakkumpad area are facing growing hardship as seawater continues to intrude, inundating homes and contaminating water sources.

Currently, saline water enters residential areas whenever high tide occurs in the Vadakkumpad River. In several low-lying coastal pockets, it has stagnated into cesspools, while contamination of local water sources has triggered an acute shortage of fresh water.

The new regulator, locally known as Chirppu, was constructed at Attumkunnatthu to channel rainwater into the river during the monsoon while preventing seawater intrusion through this route during summer. However, the strong inflow of water during high tide has now become a threat to nearby residents, with seawater spilling into house compounds in the surrounding area.

Saline water entering through the Attumkunnatthu regulator is also spreading as far as the regulators at Mecheri Padanna and Kodappuram canals, posing a threat to residents living in those areas.

Residents said they had alerted panchayat authorities well in advance about the risk of seawater intrusion if the regulator was not closed. They alleged that the failure to build a bund and take urgent preventive measures had pushed the area into hardship.

Locals also pointed out that although planks are available near the Attumkunnatthu regulator, which was constructed a year ago, no steps have been taken to use them for closing the bund.