Now Reading: Flood-hit Kuttanad triggers political row over spillway cleanup
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Flood-hit Kuttanad triggers political row over spillway cleanup
A political controversy has erupted in flood-hit Kuttanad over the Thottappally spillway, with the CPI(M) and DYFI alleging delay in removing sandbar and debris that hampers water discharge. A ministerial team visited…
The Story in Brief
A political controversy has erupted in flood-hit Kuttanad over the Thottappally spillway, with the CPI(M) and DYFI alleging delay in removing sandbar and debris that hampers water discharge. A ministerial team visited the region on Saturday, and DYFI activists were forcibly removed from a protest. Minister M. Liju said dredging records exist since 2018 but questioned their actual impact.
Alappuzha MLA G. Sudhakaran dismissed the criticism, saying 39 of 40 shutters are open and the river mouth has widened to 100 metres. He blamed 16 structures on NH 66 for blocking water flow. Preliminary assessments show ₹55.64 crore in losses, with 1,515.15 hectares of crops damaged. Separately, the rebuilt Alappuzha-Changanassery road, reconstructed at ₹750 crore after 2018 floods, remains submerged, reviving questions about its design.
The Indian Opinion
Kerala's flood politics have predictably turned into a blame game, with the CPI(M) accusing the UDF government of delay and the government pointing to eight years of dredging records. Both sides sidestep the real question: why has the ₹750-crore AC road, rebuilt after 2018, failed again within a year? A preliminary loss of ₹55.64 crore is mounting, and 1,515 hectares of cropland are submerged. The test will be the Harbour Engineering department's dredging reports, do they show actual impact or just billable work?
Source: thehindu.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
