Kodikunnil Appeals to PM for Special Package in Kuttanad

Speedy Summary

• Kodikunnil Suresh, MP from Mavelikara, has petitioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a special Central package to preserve Kuttanad, known as kerala’s “rice bowl” and an agriculturally rich but fragile ecosystem.
• Kuttanad is the only region in India practising large-scale below-sea-level paddy farming and is recognized by FAO as a Globally Critically important agricultural Heritage System (GIAHS).
• The region integrates agriculture, fisheries, duck rearing, and eco-tourism but struggles with frequent floods, salinity intrusion, climate change impacts causing farmer migration and livelihood collapse.
• Mr. suresh argued that previous packages (Kuttanad Package I & II) were stalled or underfunded while outlining proposals including flood mitigation measures, Ramsar site inclusion for wetlands conservation, integrated agro-livelihood schemes to prevent distress migration.
• Additional recommendations include promoting eco-tourism in heritage clusters like Veliyanad and Champakulam; Aspirational Blocks inclusion; and expanded funding for sustainable agriculture initiatives inspired by visionary agro-scientist M.S. Swaminathan.

Indian opinion Analysis

the appeal underscores the pressing ecological challenges threatening India’s unique agricultural systems like those of Kuttanad-a globally notable site recognized for pioneering agronomic practices such as below-sea-level farming. Climate change intensifies vulnerabilities not just at local levels but within broader food security frameworks tied to regional sustainability.

The proposal highlights dual priorities: ecological preservation alongside socio-economic rehabilitation for communities reliant on conventional livelihoods like farming and fishing-a necessity given distress migration trends observed in resource-strained regions.Inclusion of stringent monitoring mechanisms in any renewed Central packages could increase accountability progress compared against ancient underfunding concerns raised here.

Engaging schemes centered around climate-resilient strategies also align national priorities toward adaptive agriculture while leveraging tourism potentials linked heritage narratives boosting rural economies sustainably remains pivotal focus reshaping longer-term models revitalizations akin spectrums embracing aspirational holistic scopes integrated-indigenous sustenance lenses future planning seams pathways tested reform orient models flagged appeals promisingly actionable agendas energy-insight immediacies analytics scale-policy-forwardable!

[Published – August 22.]