Cabinet nod for 404-crore second phase of Chellanam seawall project

Incidentally, the protest staged by Chellanam Janakeeya Vedhi, a people’s collective, demanding protection for the Chellanam–Kochi coastline entered its 2,278th day on Wednesday. The project to build a seawall along the 6.1-km stretch is estimated to cost ₹404 crore, including goods and services tax.

Funds for the project will be mobilised through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation Limited has been assigned as the special purpose vehicle to implement the project.

Meanwhile, the Vedhi welcomed the government’s decision, terming it a victory for its protest, even as it raised concerns that the project would not be sufficient 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 no project at present to protect the coastline further north up to Fort Kochi. The partial project may, in effect, divert sea incursions in Chellanam towards areas under the Kochi Corporation,” V.T. Sebastian, general convenor of the Chellanam–Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi, said in a statement.

He added that the earlier design of the second phase of the project included nine groyne fields between Puthenthode and Kannamaly, but these have been excluded from the latest announcement. “A seawall alone will not be sufficient to resist the severity of sea incursion in the region. The construction of groyne fields to prevent the deepening of coastal waters due to dredging for the Cochin Port, and the reconstruction of the beach by sourcing sand from the seabed, are essential for a long-term solution to sea incursion. It is unfortunate that the State government has not taken steps in this direction despite repeated requests,” Mr. Sebastian said.

The forum demanded that the second phase of the project be completed on a war footing before the next monsoon.

The first phase of the project, covering a 7.3-km stretch from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed in 2023 at a cost of ₹347 crore. Chellanam is the worst affected among the 10 hotspots facing sea erosion in Kerala, as identified by the Irrigation department.