Impact of sea fury on Thiruvananthapuram coast

TNIE lensman B P Deepu zooms in on how the raging sea has once again left residents along the district’s shoreline in dire straits

A fisherman is caught in the raging waves while trying to place sandbags to protect his house from sea erosion at Vettucaud. B P Deepu

Fisherfolk at Kannanthura attempt to save their homes and shoreline by stacking sandbags and unused fishing boats.

A coastal road adjacent to St. Peter's Church at Kannanthura.

Seventy-year-old Pelkis Amrutham and his wife Amalolbhavam watch helplessly as the sea closes in on their house at Kannanthura.

A Vettucaud resident looks into the advancing sea from his home.

After over a decade, monsoon fury has returned to haunt Kannanthura and Vettucaud — two densely populated coastal hamlets in Thiruvananthapuram.

Fierce sea surges and relentless coastal erosion have once again displaced dozens of fisher families, laying bare the vulnerability of Kerala’s 590-km shoreline.Year after year, thousands of coastal residents are forced to flee their homes as the sea continues to trouble them with alarming intensity.

According to various studies, over 55% of Kerala’s coastline is at risk of erosion. A study by the University of Kerala a few years ago reveals a staggering loss of 647 acres of coastal land along a 58-km stretch in Thiruvananthapuram district alone over the past 14 years, making it one of the worst-hit regions.

Despite the recurring threats and displacement, the state government’s response has been largely limited to announcements and budgetary promises. On the ground, little has changed.

For the coastal population living on the frontline of the climate crisis, the absence of sustained intervention and long-term protection measures amounts to a grave policy failure.