Strong waves lashed the capital city's coastal regions for several hours on Thursday, throwing the daily lives of families who stay in these regions into uncertainty. The long coastal stretch from Kovalam to Pozhikkara bore the brunt of sea erosion as waves pounded the houses and other buildings lining the coast.
According to Martin, a resident of Valiyathura, most of the families who have been living in the houses along the coast have now shifted to the houses of their relatives. As many as 250 homes in the Poonthura, Beemapally, Cheriyathura, Valiyathura, Kuzhivilakam, Kochuthopp, Valiyathopp, Shanghumughom, Kannanthura and Vettucaud areas are facing the threat of sea erosion. The shops along the Kovalam coast have also remained closed with the waves coming close to the walkway and at times breaching it.
Relief camps
Several families, displaced by sea erosion, have been staying for a long time at the relief camps in the Valiyathura area. Some of the families have been staying in four godowns of the Port department, while others have been staying at schools in the region. Various fish workers' organisations have been demanding rehabilitation measures for all the families who are staying close to the sea. In 2018, a total of 192 families were shifted to a flat complex in Muttathara.
The installation of geo-tubes as part of a breakwater project to protect the Poonthura coast from sea erosion had begun earlier this year. The Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has set aside ₹150 crore for the offshore breakwater project to protect the coast stretching from Poonthura to Valiyathura.
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