4 months ago
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The Kerala authorities connected accorded in-principle support for the 2nd signifier of the task to conception a tetrapod seawall on the seashore of Chellanam, which is often battered by oversea incursions. The announcement was made astatine a gathering of the State Cabinet connected Wednesday (January 21, 2026).
Incidentally, the protestation staged by Chellanam Janakeeya Vedhi, a people’s collective, demanding extortion for the Chellanam–Kochi coastline entered its 2,278th time connected Wednesday. The task to physique a seawall on the 6.1-km agelong is estimated to outgo ₹404 crore, including goods and services tax.
Funds for the task volition beryllium mobilised done the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited has been assigned arsenic the peculiar intent conveyance to instrumentality the project.
Meanwhile, the Vedhi welcomed the government’s decision, terming it a triumph for its protest, adjacent arsenic it raised concerns that the task would not beryllium capable to afloat resoluteness the crisis.
“Approval has been fixed for the operation of a seawall on the seashore from Puthenthode to Manassery successful Chellanam grama panchayat. However, determination is nary task astatine contiguous to support the coastline further northbound up to Fort Kochi. The partial task may, successful effect, divert oversea incursions successful Chellanam towards areas nether the Kochi Corporation,” V.T. Sebastian, wide convenor of the Chellanam–Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi, said successful a statement.
He added that the earlier plan of the 2nd signifier of the task included 9 groyne fields betwixt Puthenthode and Kannamaly, but these person been excluded from the latest announcement. “A seawall unsocial volition not beryllium capable to defy the severity of oversea incursion successful the region. The operation of groyne fields to forestall the deepening of coastal waters owed to dredging for the Cochin Port, and the reconstruction of the formation by sourcing soil from the seabed, are indispensable for a semipermanent solution to oversea incursion. It is unfortunate that the State authorities has not taken steps successful this absorption contempt repeated requests,” Mr. Sebastian said.
The forum demanded that the 2nd signifier of the task beryllium completed connected a warfare footing earlier the adjacent monsoon.
The archetypal signifier of the project, covering a 7.3-km agelong from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed successful 2023 astatine a outgo of ₹347 crore. Chellanam is the worst affected among the 10 hotspots facing oversea erosion successful Kerala, arsenic identified by the Irrigation department.
