Kuttanad: Though Kerala had limped back to normalcy after the August flood, a few parts of the low-lying Kuttanad has not recovered even as the disaster is now a couple of months old. Water level at many places in Kuttanad is still high, making life difficult for residents. Heavy rains and high tide have resulted in this sticky situation.
The worst affected are people living in areas where pumping to flush out water has not been resumed and the residents of islets surrounded by vast swathes of paddy fields. Making things more difficult for them, power supply often gets disrupted affecting the pumping.
The places that are still flooded include Manapra North, which fall under the jurisdiction of the Nedumudi Krishi Bhavan, and Mecherivakka North and South paddy fields under Pulinkunnu Krishi Bhavan. Water has not receded in the nearby areas also.
Pumping has resumed at Ayyanand paddy fields under Pulinkunnu Krishi Bhavan, but water level has not gone down on the premises of hundreds of houses in the area. Rain and water flowing in from springs are raising the water level in the paddy fields at South Manappally, Pulinkunnu, though pumping has been on here continuously for the last couple of weeks.
Several people in waterlogged areas are reportedly suffering from skin diseases like ringworm infection of foot as they have to negotiate through flooded areas all the time. The premises of the Government Lower Primary School, Mankombu, are also still flooded making it inconvenient for students to step out of their classes.
The paths in all the major islets at Kainakari are still under water. During high tide water rushes in to the paddy fields, thus making ineffective all the pumping of water that had been carried out so far.
Low-lying areas at many places are submerged especially after a high tide.
