Based on requests made by MLAs in the district, Collector U.V. Jose on Monday held discussions with engineers of the Irrigation Department on measures to speed up work on fortification of sea walls.
At the meeting, Mr. Jose said sea wall construction and fortification works in vulnerable areas would be carried out with priority under the Disaster Management Act. He also said the shortage of large-size stones could be addressed after a meeting with quarry owners. The meeting would be convened soon to request their cooperation for availing the large-size granite stones for the completion of pending sea wall fortification works.
Irrigation Department Executive Engineer Ajith Kumar said the shortage of stones was the biggest hurdle in completing sea wall fortification works in the district. Quarries were not supplying the stones as the takers were only contractors engaged with government works, he pointed out.
He said majority of the complaints related to sea erosion and lack of sea walls were from the Vadakara region. “We have no shortage of fund to execute the work. The only issue is the lack of required stones and it could be addressed with the Collector’s meeting with quarry owners,” he added.
The lack of sea walls was a hot topic of discussion at the recent District Development Committee meeting. People’s representatives from Vadakara and Koyilandy Assembly constituencies had taken up the issue saying that hundreds of families were living on the verge of sea erosion threat.
