Idiyanchira ∙ More than fifteen homes in the Thanneerkkayal paddy fields region have been inundated after sluices connecting the fields to the Mullassery Canal were left open. In the Hanuman Kavu area of Mullassery Panchayat, houses belonging to Ulanadan Sureshbabu, Viswanathamandiram Karthyayani, and Thachapulli Seema Haridas are completely submerged. Several other nearby residences are also caught in the grip of the floods. Across the paddy fields, more than ten homes in Venkitangu Panchayat are similarly struggling with waterlogging. The stagnant water has left residents unable to leave their homes.

The Thanneerkkayal paddy fields largely fall within the jurisdiction of Venkitangu Panchayat, with the remaining portion lying within Mullassery Panchayat. Following complaints from local residents, representatives and officials from both panchayats, along with office bearers of the paddy field committee, arrived at the scene. The delegation included Venkitangu Panchayat President Gracy Jacob, Vice President M K Muhammad Habeeb, Standing Committee Chairpersons Manikandan Manjarambathu and Jessy Raphael, Mullassery Panchayat Vice President KV Shiju, and members Sudheer Vellatt and P K Prasad.

The decision was made to install new planks and close the earthen sluices. The water will only recede from the homes once the paddy field water is pumped into the Mullassery Canal using a motor and drained. However, George Ookkan, President of the Paddy Field Committee, revealed that the motor is currently out of order as it hasn't been used for cultivation for the past three years, a period coinciding with the last instance of waterlogging. Repairing it and commencing pumping operations would take at least a week. Venkitangu and Mullassery Panchayats have jointly decided to bear the expenses for resolving the issue.