Thiruvananthapuram: After the UN-Governmental Panel report that has warned heavy rain and flooding, especially in the southern part of the country, the opposition demanded in the assembly on Wednesday that a comprehensive program was directly needed to reduce the fear of flooding in the Kutanad region.
Oppo leader V d Sathean sues a comprehensive program by integrating several stakeholder departments after evaluating the net results of projects that have been carried out to date in the region.
Looking for leave for the delay movement, MLA P C Vishnath said that even though the flood was not new for the Kutanad community, the 2018 flood brought in disaster, from which the area was still recovering.
Vishnunath said that the LDF government had previously announced the RS 500 Crore package for the region in 2019, followed by another in February this year.
None of this has been implemented, and people live in fear when the rainy season has arrived this year.
He said that in the past three years, rice in just 55% of the undergraduate areas in the region can be harvested.
Water Resources Minister Rosy Augustine replied that the second phase of the Kutanad package was in implementation.
He added that Iit-Chennai would send his report immediately after a comprehensive study of the area, and the necessary actions would be taken on the basis of the report.
He further said that the ministers of agriculture, fisheries and water resources are visiting Kutanad and reviewing short-term and long-term steps needed to be taken.
Meanwhile, Kutanad Mla Thomas K Thomas blamed UDF, who pampered the implementation of the first Kutanad package now lamenting the sadness of the people in the region.
Former opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala said that black sand mining was not what was needed, instead of elimination of sand and lanau urgently to ensure the flow of free water to the Arabian sea.
Previously, Speaker M B Rajesh said that this problem was not an urgent trait to be taken under the delay movement.
Sathean, however, said that the new opposition approach is to take things that are important for the public.
Discussions in assembly must be results oriented, and the speaker must appreciate it.
He said that Kutanad, who had been declared as one of Ramsar’s website, would be among the first victim area because the IPCC panel report found Kerala as one of the vulnerable areas.
He said that until now, the region had received a flood of promises, but nothing turned into reality.
He said that Lake Vembanad had shrunk as a quarter of his original size.
The main problem does not provide the movement of water into and outwardly free of the three main rivers to the region remains without being handled.
Sathean said that the opposition would work with discussion and solutions that were beneficial for Kutanad.
Need a package to reduce fear of the Kutanad flood: OPPN
