Kollam beach to be developed as a safe and tourist-friendly destination

A view of the Kollam beach. | Photo Credit: C. SURESHKUMAR

The Kollam beach, considered to be one of the deadliest beaches in the State, will be soon developed into a safe and tourist-friendly destination.

Ensuring safety will be the priority of the project of the Kollam Corporation since 57 persons have drowned in the sea during the last seven years. A team from IIT Madras on Friday presented a detailed project report, which also includes the introduction of water spots, for the sustainable development of the beach.

“Apart from drownings, huge waves have dragged several persons including foreign tourists into deep waters. The Kollam beach is deeper than other beaches in the State and this makes the risk higher. The Kollam Corporation took the initiative to conduct the study with the support of the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation (KSCADC) since safety of visitors is a major concern for us. The project report prepared by IIT Madras will be now submitted to the government for approval,” says Mayor Prasanna Earnest.

The project envisages to extend the beach by installing groynes on both sides and placing geo-tubes to protect it as a permanent shallow area. “The depth of the Kollam beach near the coast is four metres and the waves are very turbulent. Using this technology, we can control the intensity of the waves, making the beach a safe spot for visitors. We plan to complete the project in a time-bound manner,” adds Ms Earnest.

According to V. Sundar, Professor Emeritus, Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT Madras, the Kollam beach has great tourism potential if the safety concerns are addressed.

“By placing geo-tubes underwater at a certain distance from the shore, the waves can be made softer, ensuring the safety,” he says.

After the completion of the project, the length of the Kollam beach will increase by around one kilometre while the depth will decrease. Geo-tubes are placed at low water levels so that there will be only small waves in the project area, helping to maintain a gentle sea.

“This is the first time in Kerala that the coastal project is being implemented using such innovative technology adopting nature-friendly methods. This technology can be extended to other beaches too in the future,” says the Mayor.