Surging sea waves washed away nearly a kilometre-long strip of sandbank at the estuary area of Korappuzha at Elathur near here on Sunday, unsettling the lives of coastal residents in the area.
The sandbank was traditionally used by the fishing communities for the last several decades to dry and to take rest during the fishing activities.
Its disappearance has perturbed the coastal life in the Elathur area.
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People here do not recollect such an incident happening before.
“I have not seen this happening ever in my life,” says Mattuvayal Vasu, a 58-year-old fisherman, born and brought up in the area.
The sandbank strip with a width of over 250 m was a virtual riverbank on one side of Korappuzha in the estuary area, holding fort and protecting the houses of the fisher folk whenever sea turned rough.
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But with the washing away of the sandbank strip, the entire stretch of coastal settlement along the river mouth of Korappuzha suddenly stands exposed to sea fury.
“For the first time, rising waves have reached up to our homes,” says M. Saleem, another resident of the area.