The first phase of the project, covering the 7.3 km stretch from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed in 2023 at a cost of ₹347 crore. | Photo credit: H. VIBHU
The Kerala government has given in-principle approval to the second phase of the project to build a seawall for the tetrapod along the Chellanam coast, which is often battered by marine incursions. The announcement was made at the state cabinet meeting on Wednesday (January 21, 2026).
Incidentally, the protest organized by Chellanam Janakeeya Vedhi, a people’s collective demanding protection of the Chellanam-Kochi coastline, entered its 2278th day on Wednesday. The project to construct the barrage along the 6.1 km stretch is estimated to cost ₹ 404 crore, inclusive of GST.
Funds for the project will be mobilized through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited has been allocated as a special purpose vehicle for the implementation of the project.
Meanwhile, Vedhi welcomed the government’s decision, calling it a victory for his protest, even as it raised fears that the project would not be enough to fully resolve the crisis.
“Approval has been given for the construction of a seawall along the coast from Puthenthode to Manassery in Chellanam grama panchayat. However, there is currently no coastal protection project further north up to Fort Kochi. The sub-project may actually divert marine incursions in Chellanam to areas under the Kochi Corporation,” VT. he said in a statement.
He added that an earlier proposal for the second phase of the project included nine paddy fields between Puthenthode and Kannamaly, but these were excluded from the latest notification. “A levee alone will not be enough to withstand the ferocity of marine invasion in the region. The construction of breakwater fields to prevent coastal waters from deepening due to dredging for the Cochin port and beach reconstruction by retrieving sand from the seabed are essential for a long-term solution to marine invasion. It is unfortunate that the government has not taken steps in this direction,” Mr Sebastian said.
The forum demanded that the second phase of the project be completed on war footing before the next monsoon.
The first phase of the project, covering the 7.3 km stretch from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed in 2023 at a cost of ₹347 crore. Chellanam is the worst affected of the 10 hotspots facing sea erosion in Kerala, as found by the irrigation department.
Published – 21 Jan 2026 21:40 IST
