The Chellanam-Fort Kochi Janakiya Vedhi has called for a social audit of the effectiveness of the 7.3-km coastal protection work that is nearly complete along the Chellanam coast.
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The Vedhi has been demanding that the coastal protection work cover the entire 17-km segment between Chellanam and Fort Kochi as a comprehensive measure against rampant sea erosion.
V.T. Sebastian of the Vedhi said a social audit would help plan the remaining work better. He added that the three sea groynes that had been completed had been placed too close to one another. Having sufficient distance between the three more groynes that would be erected as part of the ongoing work would help protect the coast better, he said. At present, the distance between the three groynes is 150 metres. A social audit could elicit the views of the coastal people and experts on placement of sea groynes, Mr. Sebastian added.
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Nine more sea groynes are planned to be erected to cover the entire Chellanam coast. They too have to be placed at optimum distance to help contain the ferocity of sea waves, he said. The Vedhi has completed 1,418 days of public protest demanding comprehensive coverage of the coast using concrete structures such as tetrapods and sea groynes.
Meanwhile, residents are worried about the delay in completing the coastal protection work covering the 17-km segment between Chellanam and Fort Kochi. There was a sense of anxiety among residents about the current pace of work, said Sherry M. Thomas, general secretary, Kerala Latin Catholic Association.
According to information elicited by Mr. Thomas through an RTI enquiry, the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) had sanctioned ₹344.20 crore for work in the 10-km coastal segment at Chellanam. The financial sanction for the project was accorded in 2016. However, when the cost of work was re-estimated in 2018, it was found that coastal protection work could be carried out only on a 7.3-km stretch using the money sanctioned by KIIFB.
The money sanctioned was to be utilised to build a sea protection wall along the 7.3-km segment of the coast as well as to erect groynes in the Bazaar area. The cost of the rest of the work has been re-estimated and will need fresh administrative and technical sanctions. In keeping with this, a detailed project report (DPR) has been submitted to the government and KIIFB. The work can be tendered once technical sanction is received based on the DPR, said information received through an RTI enquiry.
Jibin Vachakkal, secretary of the Chellanam unit of Twenty-Twenty, said the government had earlier promised to inaugurate work on the second phase of coastal protection in November. “We are hoping that the government will keep its word,‘‘ he said and pointed out that the need for completing the work in a time-bound manner had been earlier raised with the authorities.