Irate residents on Monday blocked the Shangumughom-Valiyathura road alleging official apathy in tackling the severe coastal erosion in the Shangumughom region.
The inundation is particularly severe along a 300-metre stretch which is unprotected by a seawall, the residents, who staged the blockade outside the domestic terminal of the airport, said.
Although several houses have been destroyed/damaged, no action has been forthcoming to help the residents, they allege.
“The waves have taken three rows of houses here. Two more rows are standing. If something is not done urgently, they too would disappear,”' said J. Moses, DCC member.
A robust seawall along this vulnerable stretch is the only lasting solution to the problem, according to the residents. Since this will take time, a temporary wall should be erected urgently to protect the remaining houses. Additionally, the families who have been forced to abandon their homes should be evacuated to rented houses until they can be properly resettled, they said. Following the protest, the Revenue Divisional Officer and senior officers of the city police held discussions with the residents. District Collector Navjot Khosa will convene a meeting on Tuesday to sort out the issue.
Crop loss
The heavy rainfall in the district over the past several days has caused significant damage to crops. According to the district administration, crop loss has been reported in 5,880 hectares. More than 5,660 farmers have been affected. The loss has been pegged at ₹21.44 crore. The district reported a significant reduction in rainfall on Monday. Over the past several days, 39 houses have been destroyed and 238 partially damaged in the rain havoc.
Inflow into the dams in the district have decreased with the dip in rainfall activity. All four shutters of the Neyyar dam have been lowered by 30 cm each. Owing to the heavy rainfall on Sunday, the shutters had been raised by 35 cm each.
Two shutters of the Peppara dam are open by 15 cm each. The other two shutters are closed. Three of the six shutters of the Aruvikkara dam have been raised.
