A people’s walk along the Chellanam coast between Puthenthode, Kannamaly, and INS Dronacharya, near Fort Kochi, has brought to light the seriously damaged condition of the old granite boulder walls and the glaring growth of refuse dumps along the segment where a tetrapod wall has been erected as a bulwark against sea erosion.
The walk was organised on February 12 by Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedi, an organisation demanding a sea protection wall between South Chellanam and Fort Kochi.
A report released by the people’s group said the government’s move to erect a sea wall against erosion in some stretches was not effective as evidenced by sea incursions in Kannamaly and Cheriyakadavu. The first phase of the tetrapod sea wall project was implemented for 7.35 km between north of the Chellanam fishing harbour and Puthenthode. But there is now a serious sea erosion threat to Kannamaly, located on the northern side of the sea wall.
Though the government had promised to complete construction of the wall between Kannamaly and CMS bridge, it had not been taken up so far, said the study, which also pointed out the pathetic state of sea protection works involving granite boulders, geo sandbags, sandbunds, and geotextiles. The 9.20-km coast between Puthenthode and Fort Kochi is under serious sea erosion threat.
One of the serious problems identified by the group that organised the walk along the coast was the growth of new waste dumps in places where tetrapod walls had been erected. The terapod wall and the adjoining beach area have seen sprouting of waste heaps. The materials being dumped in the area include household items, nylon fishing nets and remnants of fishing nets, driftwood, and household utensils.
The Janakeeya Vedi called on the authorities to promote methods of proper waste disposal that would not be expensive for ordinary people living along the coast. The government must also launch an awareness campaign among people about the dangers and consequences of dumping waste materials haphazardly, it said.
