The panchayat should withdraw from the impasse of closing the bund which will inturn result in drowning 100 acres of Kannukettichira Vazhikkilichira Eruppo Padasehkaram,Thumboor,Kerala,India
Isn’t too hard to believe for the poor farmers to wake up and see their painstaking efforts in feeding the world lose out to some fault in systems.This is at a point when doubling the farmers' income by 2022-23 is central to promote farmers' welfare, reduce agrarian distress and bring parity between income of farmers and those working in non-agricultural professions. 100 acres of Paddy Fields are under severe threat in Thumboor a small Village in Vellangallur Block, Vellokkara Panchayath in Thrissur District of Kerala State. The Velukkara Panchayat authorities need to urgently withdraw from the preparatory work to close the bund, which will eventually lead to the destruction of crops in 100 acres of Kannukettichira Vazhikkilichira Eruppo Padasehkara Samithi, which is preparing for the harvest in December.
Farmers along with their leader Vaxerine Perappadan who had always spoken for farmers rights and whose encouragement and guidance boosted this community to become profitable (Loktantrikyuva Janata Dal,Zilla President) have requested the Panchayat officials not to close the bund on Perunthode, which brings water from the Kottanellur branch canal to the Vazhikkalachira paddy fields before the harvest. The current season of paddy cultivation is from August to December and the bund is closed only after the harvest to collect water in the paddy field. This ensures the water table in the near by areas and ensures water for the Puncha cultivation in the nearby paddy fields.
Out of 100 acres,in Kannukettichira Vazhikkilichira Eruppo Padasehkara Samithi (Farmers Collective) 15 acres is dedicated to Natural Farming and the rest to Integrated Nutrient and Pest Management practices and sold off to the Supplyco,Kerala Govt.These cultivations are done along with the Project Haritha Keralam and Fallow-landfree Thrissur projects. The cultivation had only been possible due to the constant encouragement of local governments and communities.
Talking to Agriculture World, Vaxerine Perappadan becomes eloquent about the Fifty acres of acreage, which was also damaged due to similar blocking in Ayyon Pattka in Alur panchayat. He stresses on the fact that the panchayat should withdraw from the impasse and also said that a complaint was lodged by the Padasekhara Samiti to investigate with respect to this attempt to drowning the paddy cultivation before harvesting. The very thought of eliminating crops and creating drinking water is contradictory. When the people are doing its best to promote paddy cultivation, these actions are unpardonable.
This is all happening at a time when The Paddy cultivation in Kerala has steadily shrunk 9 Lakh Hectares in the 1990’s is reduced to the present 3 Lakhs.What Kerala produces is nearly 10-15 percent of 40 Lakh metric tonne and the rest is imported from the other states.
There is so much uncertainity in the present world,but still I stand in awe of the injustice and altruism of some.Some want to save the Nation from the rising population,work towards food securty,work against climate change and changing diets,but some others look forward to disrupt the fragile ecosystems. There is often an unspoken agenda behind all these and there is so much uncertainity aorund all these resulting in food insecurity.We seriously start doubting the transparency of the systems around.
