With the puncha harvest in Kuttanad nearing completion, the Irrigation Department will open the shutters of the Thanneermukkom bund on April 20.
This was decided at a meeting chaired by District Collector S. Suhas here on Friday.
The Collector has directed padashekhara samitis to complete the harvest by April 20.
The Irrigation department will open all 62 shutters, 31 shutters each in the western and eastern sides, allowing the entry of salt water into Kuttanad.
Meanwhile, the move to demolish the earthen embankment in the middle of the backwaters, essential for commissioning the third phase of the Thanneermukkom bund, remains incomplete.
Third phase
The third phase of construction, which commenced in September 2014, will replace the embankment in the middle by 28 steel shutters.
Officials said the project was almost complete but commissioning of the third phase depended on the demolition of the earthen bund.
Last year, faced with criticism during the floods over the delay in commissioning the project, the State government directed the Irrigation Department to demolish the earthen embankment and open the bund bridge.
The bridge was opened to traffic in August.
Following this, a portion of the embankment was removed.
However, the contractor was not allowed to take the earth as local bodies in the region made a claim over the earth.
Further, the demolition was completely halted following the court order.
The Thanneermukkom bund across Vembanad Lake, proposed to keep the water balance and prevent intrusion of salt water into Kuttanad during paddy cultivation, was designed by the Central Water and Power Research Station in 1956.
The first and second phases were completed in 1965 and 1975.
Operational in 1976
The barrage was made operational in 1976.
Once completed, the Thanneermukkom bund, with a span of 1,410 metres, will have 90 shutters.