Kerala launches ₹93-crore coastal defence project to protect eroding Pozhiyoor shoreline

A 1,700-metre coastal defence system combining groynes, seawalls and tetrapods will be inaugurated at Pozhiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram district on September 22, marking the launch of a ₹93.22-crore project to protect the eroding shoreline.

Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will inaugurate the project, which is designed to shield houses, roads and public facilities from invading waves over the long term, Water Resources Minister Mons Joseph said on Sunday.

Design and scope

The coastal defence infrastructure will include 11 groynes constructed along the 1,700-metre stretch. A 4.5-metre-wide concrete walkway will be built atop the seawall, Mr. Joseph said.

Threat to thousands of families

Severe coastal erosion along the Pozhiyoor, Kollengode and Parithiyoor stretch has been posing a threat to more than 3,000 families. The State highway passing through the area also had been damaged by waves.

Local residents had petitioned the Chief Minister, Mr. Joseph, Fisheries Minister V.E. Abdul Gafoor and MLA N. Shakthan seeking a permanent solution to the problem.

Funding and implementation

Following the petitions, the government decided that the ₹93.22-crore project will be implemented by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC), an Irrigation department agency, using Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) funds.

Mr. Joseph will preside over the inauguration function. Mr. Gafoor, Mr. Shakthan and Shashi Tharoor, MP, will be present.

Source: The Hindu