Salt water incursion triggers protest on island in Kochi
The Hindu
Kumbalam residents say they are forced to abandon homes, panchayat refutes charges
Saline water incursion has triggered a public protest and war of words in Kumbalam panchayat on the outskirts of Kochi city. While some residents of the panchayat, an island, have complained that the saline incursion into the inland waterbodies and wells have polluted the water and damaged their houses and appliances, the civic authorities maintained that steps for regulating salt water incursion had been initiated. The office-bearers of the Kareethara Pradesham Residents Association allege that the delay in constructing a bund for preventing the incursion of salt water to fish ponds has resulted in the situation. Many houses in the first, 16th and 17th wards of the panchayat, have been affected. The panchayat, which was earning a meagre amount of around ₹26,000 annually by auctioning off the fish ponds, was turning a blind eye towards the plight of the residents, said a representation submitted to the District Collector and others.More Related News