THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Construction of seawalls and breakwaters alone will not suffice to protect the coast from erosion, Finance Minister TM Thomas Isaac said on Wednesday. He was addressing a programme organised by the Latin Archdiocese of Thiruvananthapuram to mark the first anniversary of the Cyclone Ockhi disaster. While it is a constant demand on the part of coastal communities that seawalls and breakwaters to protect the coastline, it is an issue that calls for a detailed study, he said.
Predictions regarding climate change are turning true. Cyclone Ockhi was not a random phenomenon. Our warning systems need to be more efficient, the minister said. Together with this, people who live within 50 metres of the shoreline have to be resettled. Coastal protection agencies and inspections need to be strengthened, he said, reiterating the government’s decision to implement a comprehensive programme for coastal development.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will inaugurate the distribution of ISRO’s satellite phones for fishermen on November 30, Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma said. At present, there is no mechanism to know how many fishermen are out in the sea or have returned, she said.