Pokkali farmers accuse authorities of incompetence as fields in Chellanam remain undrained of saline water
Pokkali farmers have alleged that incompetent authorities failed to ensure that the traditional paddy fields in Chellanam panchayat were drained of saline water despite the time being rife for sowing.
Pokkali Samrakshana Samithi, a group dedicated to preserving traditional rice cultivation in the coastal area paddy fields, said 100-year-old pokkali farmer Baby Joseph registered her protest against the failure of the authorities by sowing the paddy seeds in her own compound hoping that she would be able to transplant the saplings about a fortnight later. Ms. Joseph owns a five-acre field in Maruvakkad in Chellanam and she has been a one-woman crusader for the upkeep of the tradition of growing the saline and floodwater-resistant paddy variety in the coastal panchayat.
Francis Kalathunkal of the Samithi alleged that the paddy fields should have been drained of saline water by April 15. However, the fields were still flooded as proper and regular pumping was not taking place. The farmers feared the paddy crop would be unsuccessful again like it had been over the past few years, he said.
The farmers have also complained that pokkali seeds were scarce and had to be procured at a cost of ₹100 a kg. A shortage of seeds, inclement weather conditions and neglect by the authorities would spell the doom for the tradition of pokkali cultivation, which was unique to the coastal areas of Alappuzha, Ernakulam and Thrissur, said Mr. Kalathunkal.
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