Kallada irrigation project faces delays, impacting agriculture in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha

Rising temperatures are severely impacting the agricultural sector, with the Kallada irrigation project's canals, crucial for water supply in Kollam, Pathanamthitta, and Alappuzha districts, facing delays in opening. This year's reduced water flow into the project has significantly affected water distribution. Despite the onset of January, canal opening procedures have not yet commenced, unlike previous years when they opened by mid-December to combat drought. Neglected maintenance, including overgrown canals and encroached sub-canals, further hinders water flow. The lack of repairs, previously supported by the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme, is causing crops like bananas and vegetables to wither.