Two persons were injured when a portion of their house collapsed under surging sea waves at Nainamvalappu in the city on Sunday raising concern about the safety of people living in the erosion-prone coastal villages of Kothi, Mukhadar and Kamburam in the district.
N. Rukhiyabi, 56, and her daughter Rasiyabi, 37, who sustained injuries are undergoing treatment at the Government General Hospital in the city. Hospital authorities said that their injuries were not serious. Around 40 houses in the Nainamvalappu-Kothi area, where the sea erosion was severe, were facing serious threat from the rising waves.
Residents of the area are on the edge once again with ferocious waves lashing their homes since morning. “Furniture and clothes kept inside the rooms got drenched in many houses,” said N. Koyamon, a resident.
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A revenue team led by Sub-Collector Himanshu Kumar Rai visited the area and supervised measures to rehabilitate the affected people. According to Tahasildar Roshni Narayanan, all arrangements have been made to shift the affected people to a nearby school at Nainamvalappu. “Around 30 people have already taken shelter at the school,” she said.
Residents have protested against the attitude of the authorities. They want a permanent solution to the problem of sea erosion.
“The authorities return only with the surging waves every time,” said a resident.
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Makeshift arrangements
A resident N.V. Subair said makeshift arrangements would not work. Strengthening seawalls in a ‘scientific way’ in consultation with the Marine Department was the only solution, he said.
‘Unscientific construction by the harbour and irrigation departments has aggravated the problem. Around 50 meters width of the beach had been invaded by the sea here recently, which we fear had some link with the unscientific constructions,” said Mr. Subair.
Severe sea erosion has been reported from Elathur and Kampuram area with around 30 families facing the threat from surging waves.
Village officer T.K Anandkumar said that the nearby Government Mappila School has been kept ready in case of an emergency to rehabilitate the residents. “The residents have been alerted about the situation,” he said.
The district administration has sounded an alert forbidding fishermen from venturing into the sea in view of the heavy rain and wind forecast by the meteorological department.
People living in the sea erosion prone coastal areas have been asked to move to a safer place.
A control room with phone number 0495 2371002 has also been opened at the collectorate to monitor the situation.