There are only two regions in the world where paddy is cultivated below the mean sea level. These places are in Holland and Kerala's Kuttanad. It has been an age-old practice for the farmers of Kuttanad as the region lies two to three feet below the sea level. Kuttanad largely spans through three districts — Alappuzha, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta. While 65 per cent of the sub-sea-level farming is done in Alappuzha district, 30 per cent is done in Kottayam district and 5 per cent in Pathanamthitta district.
But the farmers are now bearing the brunt of climate change with coastal Kerala experiencing floods every year that keep the farms submerged almost throughout the year.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, who is on his 150-day 'Bharat Jodo Yatra', met the distressed farmers and a couple of scientists Sunday. "We have given an eight-page letter to Mr Rahul Gandhi mentioning the problems this region and the farmers are facing," Dr Padmakumar, agriculture scientist and director of International Research and Training Centre for Below Sea Level Farming, told ABP Live. "No support programmes have come from the Government of India," he told Rahul Gandhi when the latter met the 65-year-old Sunday.
What Is Kuttanad Farming?
The Food and Agricuture Organization Of the United Nations recognises the Kuttanad wetland farming system as "unique", saying it is the "only system in India that favours rice cultivation below sea level". Such farm land is created by draining delta swamps in brackish waters.
"The Kuttanad system is a complex mosaic of fragmented agricultural landscapes divided in three structures: wetlands used for paddy activities and fish catching, garden lands used for coconut, tubers and food crops plantation and water areas used as inland fishing and shells," it says.
The system also allows fisheries, livestock and home garden to be grown on these lands.
The UN body says this fragile and unique system needs protection as it faces "a severe pollution of waters due to the tourism" and also because of the use of chemicals. It also acknowledges "imminent climate impacts" and says the system "aims to deal with soil availability and floods issues in agriculture" as a coping measure.
Issues Pertaining To Kuttanad Farming
The farming lands where paddy cultivation is done every year in Kuttanad encompass up to 1.5 lakh acres. "It's a very fertile land to cultivate but every year there's flood resulting in submerging the farms under water. Farmers have to pump out the water on a regular basis, this increases the utilisation of electricity. During the floods in 2020, almost 80 per cent of the farm land in the Kuttanad region has been inundated," said Padmakumar, who was previously a professor at Kerala Agricultural University.
The government gives subsidies but they are not sufficient for the farmers. The Centre gives Rs 18 per kg as minimum support price (MSP) while the state government gives Rs 9 per kg as MSP, said the Alappuzha-born agriculture scientist.
"Back in 2007-08, Rs 1,840 crore was allocated for the development of infrastructure in Kuttanad region, but there haven't been many changes. After several attempts and keeping hopes alive, at least 20 per cent of farmers have left the region in the last five years, especially after the 2018 floods," he said.
The meeting with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi has been a morale booster for the farmers who still have little hope that the government will do something for them, Padmakumar said.
"Mr Gandhi promised that he will raise the issues pertaining to the Kuttanad region in the parliament," Dr Padmakumar added.
Take a look at the 8-page letter they gave to Rahul Gandhi.