Decks have been cleared for the construction of the proposed offshore breakwater at Poonthura. The government has accorded final approval for the project after the completion of the tender formalities.
Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma, replying to questions in the Assembly on Thursday, said that the construction of the breakwater, the first-of-its-kind in the State, would commence later this month.
The pilot project was being undertaken with the technical assistance of the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), which has successfully established a similar breakwater system in Cuddalore in Tamil Nadu.
The 700-m breakwater, proposed to be constructed using geo-tubes, is expected to protect the coastal areas of Poonthura and Valiathura which have intense coastal erosion.
The technique could help the State overcome the difficulty in procuring granite for coastline protection. Besides, it also held the potential of bringing down granite quarrying, she said.
By July
Ms. Mercykutty Amma said the ₹17.8-crore project was expected to be completed before July.
The effectiveness of the breakwater in protecting the coast from the rough seas would be assessed before taking a call on replicating the method at Shanghumughom where a 6-km breakwater had been proposed.
She also had to fend off criticism raised by Leader of Opposition Ramesh Chennithala who accused the government of doing little to address the problem of coastal erosion, particularly in areas such as Haripad, Ambalappuzha, Chellanam and Ponnani, which faced coastal erosion.
The Minister said the offshore breakwater project demanded a two-year study for which the NIOT assessed various parameters, including wave strength.
Based on the success of the project, the technique would be implemented across the State, she said.
