Kuttanad wetland ecosystem development package to be revived

The Kerala government today said it would revive schemes and programmes under the 'Kuttanad wetland ecosystem development package', which were stopped some years back due to alleged lapses in implementation.

The Kuttanad package, conceived by the M S Swaminathan Research Foundation, includes proposals for ecological restoration, flood control, development of agriculture and fisheries, sanitation and drinking water supply.

A consensus to revive the package was arrived at a high-level meeting, chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held to take stock of the flood relief workshere.

However, the main Opposition Congress boycotted it in protest against the Chief Minister not visiting flood affected areas.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting, PWD minister G Sudhakaran said the state government would approach the Centre to implement different schemes and programmes under the package.

He flayed the decision of the Congress to boycott the meeting and said it exposed the 'political bankruptcy' of the Opposition.

He also claimed that government was doing everything possible to take up relief work in flood affected areas.

Health Minister K K Shaylaja said the Chief Minister had asked officials to take steps to prevent outbreak of any diseases after flood water recedes in the worst affected upper Kuttanad area.

Several areas in Kuttanad are still submerged though there has been a respite from heavy rains over the last few days.

More than 5,000 people are still staying in relief camps in the area.

Dubbing the meeting as 'a farce,'opposition leader in the assembly, Ramesh Chennithala said it was very unfortunate on the part of Chief Minister to not have visited flood affected areas and heard people's grievances.

The Centre accorded approval to the Kuttanad package in 2008 and schemes and programmes were implemented from 2010.

However, the schemes had to be stopped later following alleged lapses in its implementation.