Socio-cultural Processes and Livelihood Patterns at Tirurangadi - CDS

their labor resources in the area where was excess water, and that saline water by shifting
the cultivation from such areas. However, this was not possible for the new set of
landowning farmers. They had to invest additional money and for preventing water
logging. Some of the richer farmers in venchali, kizhakke patam and other fields
apparently brought labor resources from different areas to do the work. Those who did
not have the resources had to meet the problem with household labor. Apart from this,
because of the nature of the terrain and water resources, most of the area has not come
under irrigation. As per 1971 Census figures, only 8.77% of the total cultivated land was
irrigated. However, the major requirement of the area was not as much irrigation canals
as an effective system of management for the available water supply, including streams
and the river, which was not forthcoming.
The problem of salination in the long run was beyond the ability of the farmers, and
attracted Government intervention. The irrigation department set up many canal and
irrigation schemes in the area, such as the venchali lift irrigation scheme and the
Trikkulam lift irrigation scheme. Schemes in the area, mostly that of repairing existing
thodus and transforming them into canals with bunds (Cheerpu) for preventing the entry
of excess water of saline water. Such cheerpus can be found at Chernur patam on the
borders of Munniyur and Thenhippalam, another one in the place called Brahmaswam in
Thenhippalam. The biggest cheerpu of this kind is in the Keranallur thodu in between
Parappanangadi and Nannambra to let out excess water in the area. The largest of such
works is the Anaicut at Mannittampara in Kadalundi River commissioned by the EMS
ministry in the sixties which was built mainly for solving the problem of the heavy
salination in the area. Old farmers testified that the Anaicut did solve the problem of the
entry of saline water and promoted cultivation in the nearby areas. However, the problem
of salination continued in the areas up to the Anaicut, for example, in places like
Olipramkadavu and Vallikkunnu, which affected the productivity of the soil.