Latest news with #KuttanadPackage


The Hindu
20-07-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Infrastructure works under Kuttanad Package launched
Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine here on Sunday inaugurated the construction of infrastructure development works for paddy polder networks in Thalayazham, a village in North Kuttanad. The polder development project in the local body is being initiated as par of the Kuttanad package. The Irrigation Department has allocated ₹6.10 crore for the infrastructure development of padasekharams across several areas within the grama panchayat, including Kannuvallikkari, Moonnam Velikkari, Vattakkari, Enarom, Panachithuruth, Mannathusseri, Mundar 3, Chettikkari, Vanamsouth, and Varambinakam. The scope of work includes the construction and strengthening of outer bunds, building of retaining walls, establishment and maintenance of motor sheds, and other essential infrastructure improvements. The project is expected to benefit approximately 804 acres of paddy fields in the region. Speaking on the occasion, the Minister said that the government would always accord top priority to addressing farmers' concerns. Through initiatives by the Irrigation department and projects under the Kuttanad Package, significant strides have been made in strengthening the infrastructure of polder networks across the region, he said. 'The enhanced infrastructure in paddy fields would directly contribute to growth in food production,' the Minister said Citing the success of the Jal Jeevan Mission, the Minister stated that the number of households with access to drinking water in the state has increased from 17 lakh to 43 lakh. Vaikom legislator C.K. Asha presided over the event.


The Hindu
21-06-2025
- Politics
- The Hindu
Central Travancore politics dives into floodwaters as local body polls loom
With local body elections on the doorsteps, political battlelines are being drawn not just on land, but across the rivers and lakes of central Travancore too. Environmental issues have surged to the centre of the political discourse as parties crank up their campaign machinery. The Kerala Congress(M), for instance, has sprung into action with a symposium on the recurring floods in the Meenachil river. Addressing the event, KC(M) Chairman Jose K. Mani called for a complete overhaul in water management strategies, urging the State to adopt long-term flood-control plans. 'River and stream storage capacities must be maximised. Check-dams should follow a seasonal protocol. Desilting and waste removal from waterbodies are crucial, and excess river sand must be auctioned,' he said. The party plans to compile the recommendations that came up in the symposium and present them to the State government. Interestingly, the KC(M) itself holds the State's Water Resources portfolio, with Roshy Augustine at the helm. The rival faction led by P.J. Joseph, on the other hand, is launching a protest campaign anchored on Vembanad Lake, which serves as the lifeline for the flood-prone Kuttanad and upper Kuttanad regions. Charging that neglect and government inaction have brought the lake to the brink, the first phase of its protest kicks off on Saturday, June 28, on the banks of Vembanad near the Vaikom boat jetty . 'Silt, mud, and garbage have choked Vembanad Lake, drastically cutting its storage capacity. Frequent floods and crop destruction have become the norm. The State and Centre have ignored the Swaminathan commission's recommendations. Even the much-hyped Kuttanad Package remains a paper promise,' the party said, in a statement. It is demanding immediate, targeted action: restore the lake, revive dying waterbodies such as the Kariyar and Thottappally, safeguard paddy fields, and rollout special flood-relief projects across Kottayam, Alappuzha, and Pathanamthitta.