First social impact study on decline of Kuttanad farmlands to commence soon

Alappuzha: Kuttanad is an artificially created land area with numerous canals crisscrossing it, designed especially for farming purposes. The decline of farmlands, including paddy and banana fields, in the region is affecting much more than the livelihood of farmers. To bring out the whole picture, Fr Porukara CMI College in association with Nellulpadana Padashekhara Samithi, Champakulam, is set to do a social impact study on the decline of farmlands in Champakulam Panchayat.

“We aim to bring out the change that has come into the farming sector before and after the 2018 floods,” said Fr Dr Josey Kollammalil, Principal of Fr Porukara CMI College. “Since 2018, floods have been a recurring phenomenon here. People are opting out of farming and migrating. Houses are abandoned. We also intend to understand the social impact brought by the use of chemical fertilizers in farming.”

Almost the entire population of Kuttanad once depended on farming to sustain their lives. Now, people are leaving the sector in droves. This social impact study which is to be held in Champakulam, will be expanded to cover the entire Kuttanad region soon, says Jonichan Mannuparambil, president of the Padashekhara Samithi.

“In the past, a farmer could cultivate paddy three times a year in the farmlands here. That is no longer the case now. Due to the absence of bunds, flood waters enter the farmlands easily, restricting cultivation. Also, farming is now no longer a profitable industry. There is no money it. So, people are opting out and the once crop-yielding farmlands are now lying barren and prone to seepage,” said Jonichan.

This vanishing of crop-yielding farmlands is not just affecting the farmers. It has more far-reaching consequences.

“A paddy farm of 300 acres may have around 300 homes living on its banks. In the absence of farming, there is no effort to build bunds and keep out flood waters. These flood waters when enter the farmland, also enter these 300 homes, forcing the families to move out. So, the existence of not just the farmers, but the whole of Kuttanad depends on its farmlands,” said Jonichan.

The study has been initiated as per the directive from the district collector and the state government. As of now, the questionnaire consisting of 20 questions has been prepared. Soon, volunteers would go to each of the around 5,000 households in Champakulam Panchayat to gather data.

“The welfare of the panchayat lies in the welfare of its people, especially the farmers. We have agreed to lend our full support to this initiative. This is the first time that a study is this kind is being made, and we are counting on it to bring some productive results,” said T G Jalajakumari, president of Champakulam Grama Panchayat.

Each year, the government has to spend crores in rehabilitating families affected by floods and in paying compensation to farmers. The survey aims to collect the necessary data which can be used to formulate a holistic solution to this ordeal. Five volunteers are to be sent to each of the 13 wards to collect the data. The volunteers will mostly be students from Fr Porukara CMI College. The survey is expected to be completed by next month.