The burdensome waves lay on the bare fact that even 1.25 GBP crore spent on geobags along the vulnerable sections was not fully effective. | Photo Credit: H.Vibhu
After a short calm, Chelllanam again came under the heavy battle of the sea since Tuesday (July 22, 2025) and the situation is likely to deteriorate with a heavy high tide affected by the new month predicted from Thursday (July 24, 2025).
As has been the case in different points from the beginning of the monsoon, almost 5 km of the section between Puthenthove and the Katticadav is marked either by missing or worn sea walls and geobags. The burdensome waves caused the fact that even 1.25 GBP crore assigned from the State Fund for Catastrophe management to place geobags along vulnerable sections was not fully effective.
“The way of placing the geobags will not help. Where fresh geobags, old, worn next to them were placed and were easily violated by waves.
The state government 3 July approved the 306 GBP project for the second phase of the design of the Tetrapod seabods in Chelllanam Panchayat. The proposed project will cover the remaining 3.6 km section from Puthenthod to Cheriyakkadav, as originally planned in the first phase, which was completed in 2023 in an investment of 347 Crore. Although the first phase was originally planned to cover areas up to the Cheriyakkadav, the Uralungal Employment Treaty of the Co-Operative Society Limited, the project executor, could only cover the 7.3 km section up to Puthenthod after a revised estimate.
However, Chelllanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedi demanded that the second phase to extend another few kilometers to Beach Road. The organization has pointed out that packing the second phase on the Cheriyakkadava would further worsen the impact of marine invasions on the rest of the coastal section in Panchayat as a kattipparamba, Kaithaveli, Manasserry, Saudi and Beach Road. “This is exactly what is happening in the section from Puthenthod to Cheriyakkadav in years after the first phase of Chelllanam Fisherman’s port to Puthenthod in 2023.
Published – 23 July 2025 23:57
