The Samyuktha Vembanad Kayal Samarakshana Samithi (SVKSS) will send one lakh postcards to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan demanding a special package for the eco-restoration of Vembanad Lake, a designated Ramsar site.
K.M. Poovu, secretary, SVKSS, said on Wednesday that the government should appoint a commission in line with the Swaminathan commission, which studied and submitted a report to mitigate the agrarian distress in Alappuzha and Kuttanad wetland ecosystem, to look into the deteriorating condition of the lake and losses suffered by inland fishers.
“Like the Kuttanad package, the government should announce the Vembanad package for the conservation of the waterbody and to protect the livelihood of people who depend on the lake’s resources. As part of the campaign, we will visit houses in the region and collect signatures,” Mr. Poovu said.
Increase absorption
The SVKSS demanded measures to increase the waterbody’s absorption capacity by removing 3,000 tonnes of plastic, sludge and sediment from the lake bed. It suggested using the muddy sludge lifted from the lake to construct flood barriers around houses on the banks of the lake.
The SVKSS urged the government to compensate inland fishers who suffered losses from the Thanneermukkom saltwater barrage and pesticide use by paddy farmers in the Kuttanad region. It called for utilising idle rice fields in Kuttanad for fish breeding along with promoting fish ranching in the lake. The samithi demanded stringent action against those involved in illegal fishing and harvesting baby clams.
Debilitated wetland system
Earlier this year, a study by the Centre for Aquatic Resource Management and Conservation, Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies, revealed a highly degraded, dysfunctional, and debilitated Vembanad wetland system. The report noted that the poor state of the lake is affecting the lives and livelihood of around eight million people in Alappuzha, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, and Ernakulam districts. It noted that the water retention capacity of the waterbody has been reduced by 85.3%. From 2,617.5 million cubic metres in 1990, the capacity reduced to 384.66 million cubic metres in 2020.
Mannancherry grama panchayat member K.S. Haridas inaugurated the campaign in front of the Ponnad post office on Tuesday. SVKSS president V.P. Manoharan, members N.K. Raghu, V.N. Suresh and others attended the function.
