7 months ago
3
Three months aft the Kerala authorities approved the ₹306-crore 2nd signifier program for constructing a tetrapod seawall successful Chellanam panchayat, which remains highly susceptible to coastal erosion, determination has been small progress.
At the marketplace rates calculated astatine the time, the authorities was expected to walk astir ₹100 crore per kilometre. With section assemblage elections expected to beryllium notified soon, followed by the enforcement of the exemplary codification of conduct, the affected colonisation successful the coastal panchayat, who person been protesting nether the banner of the Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi for a imperishable solution to oversea incursion implicit the past six years, are apprehensive that the task whitethorn not commence soon.
An enforcement committee gathering of the organisation held precocious decided to people the protestation entering the seventh twelvemonth by holding a day-long dharna astatine Thoppumpady connected October 28. Plans for further protests are besides nether way.
“There has been nary question connected the task since it was announced connected July 2. Securing renewed administrative, technical, and fiscal sanctions earlier the notification of section assemblage polls is important for the enactment to statesman without further delay,” said V.T. Sebastian, wide convenor of Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi.
The archetypal signifier of the project, covering a 7.3-km agelong from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed astatine a outgo of ₹347 crore successful 2023. Although the archetypal program included the remaining 3.60-km agelong from Puthenthode to Cheriyakkadavu, the task executor – Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd – was lone capable to implicit up to Puthenthode owed to a revised estimate.
A high-level gathering had decided that the 2nd signifier would besides beryllium executed arsenic a Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) project.
At the clip of the project’s announcement, it was stated that a elaborate task study (DPR) had already been prepared and lone the administrative authorisation needed renewal.
Chellanam is the worst affected
Chellanam is the worst affected among the 10 hotspots facing oversea erosion successful Kerala, arsenic identified by the Irrigation department.
The Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi has consistently demanded that the authorities revisit the partial implementation attack and resoluteness the contented by extending the tetrapod seawall beyond Cheriyakkadavu up to Beach Road, covering each affected areas successful Chellanam panchayat.
The organisation noted that the piecemeal implementation of the enactment conservation task successful Chellanam is unscientific and inadequate to tackle the worsening oversea erosion.
