The construction of groyne fields ( pulimuttu ) in Kattoor will begin soon.
In a bid to tackle sea erosion, 34 groynes with a total length of 3.16 km will be constructed from Omanapuzha to Vazhakoottam pozhi. Officials said the groynes would be built using tetrapods weighing five and two tonnes. “The work on constructing groynes was commenced in October. The construction of tetrapods is making good progress,” said an official on Tuesday.
Mararikulam grama panchayat president Sangeetha said the construction of groynes would benefit 160 families directly and more than 600 families indirectly. Besides, around 20 hectares of land could be protected from sea erosion.
Groynes would be constructed 100 metres apart. Each groyne would have a length of 40 metres from shore into the sea and 20 metres width. A total of 23,000 tetrapods of two tonnes and 4,000 tetrapods of five tonnes would be used for the purpose.
The project would be completed in one-and-a-half years at a cost of ₹49.9 crore. Besides, a sea wall would be constructed at Kattoor, officials said.
The State government last year decided to establish 114 groyne fields at five places off the Alappuzha coast at a cost of ₹184 crore under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB). The other four groyne fields would be built in Haripad, Ambalappuzha and Alappuzha Assembly constituencies. The structures would directly benefit 625 families and between 1,500 and 2,000 families indirectly.
Earlier, granite boulders were used for constructing groynes. However, an acute shortage of granite in the State forced the authorities to look for alternatives. “Small granite stones will be laid and tetrapods will be placed above it. This way, we can minimise the use of granite in the construction of groynes,” the official added.
Sea erosion had become severe in coastal areas of Alappuzha district, especially during the monsoon season. Several houses were destroyed after high swell waves pounded areas in Ambalapuzha, Kattoor, Arattupuzha, Kakkazhom and other places in recent years.
