The Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council has appealed to State authorities to speed up works to protect the Kerala coast on a war-footing. KRLCC president Bishop Joseph Kariyil said sea erosion was taking place at several places at a rapid pace and immediate action was needed to protect the lives and property of coastal residents. The segment of the coast between Pozhiyoor and Anchutheng in Thiruvananthapuram and several segments of the coast in Kollam, Alappuzha, and Ernakulam were facing serious threat, said a KRLCC spokesman.
The Latin Catholic Council is of the opinion that the specific characteristics of each of the coastal segments should be considered before implementing projects to protect the coast. The council also appealed to the government to consider whether sufficient compensation had been paid to the victims of cyclonic storms, flooding, and sea erosion.
The government was still studying the package of rehabilitation and compensation for the victims of the Ockhi cyclonic storm that hit the Kerala coast at the end of 2017, the spokesman alleged.
The government had recently announced that work on a ₹344-crore project to help protect the Chellanam coast in Ernakulam would be launched soon. The tender procedures are expected to be completed by the end of November for the work to begin. The first phase of the coastal protection projects will cover 10 km towards the north of the Chellanam fishing harbour. The second phase will include the rest of the coast. Chellanam is among the 10 hotspots along the State coast, where sea erosion is severe.
