A boy attempting to place sand bags on the shore in Chellanam to block  harsh waves| file pic
A boy attempting to place sand bags on the shore in Chellanam to block  harsh waves| file pic

Save Chellanam: Rs 344 crore project gets green signal

The state government has given administrative sanction for the Rs 344.20-crore coastal protection project at Chellanam.

KOCHI: The state government has given administrative sanction for the Rs 344.20-crore coastal protection project at Chellanam. According to the Irrigation Department, the sanction comes following a series of meetings held by the chief minister with various departments to find a lasting solution to sea erosion on the 630km coastal line of the state. 

“At a meeting held in May, the CM had stressed the need to protect the coastal line. It is one of the priority subjects of the government. The project will start from Chellanam,” said the department. 
The meetings explored various measures like the use of tetrapods for the seawall and decided to develop a sustainable long-term plan for coastal protection that involves both soft and hard solutions, a department official said. The Irrigation Design and Research Board (IDRB) had modified their original design with a diaphragm wall supported with tetrapods. 

“IDRB was directed to obtain the design of the groynes from the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) in Chennai,” said an irrigation department official.Chief Engineer (Irrigation and Administration) Alex Varghese, submitted the detailed project report (DPR) worth Rs 344.20 crore for two coastal protection works at Chellanam. 

“The first one was the reformation of damaged sunken sea wall using tetrapods for 10km along the coast, which will require Rs 254.20 crore,” said Alex Varghese. The second one is the construction of groyne field at Bazaar and Kannamaly in Chellanam panchayat for Rs 90 crore.Alex said the current project will use bigger tetrapods unlike in the past. “Each tetrapod weighs around two tonnes and will be acting as a permanent solution to the sea erosion at the Chellanam coast. The tetrapods will have an inter-linking wall-like effect and will fend off violent waves,” he added.

According to him, Rs 1,500 crore was earmarked in the 2020-21 budget for coastal protection. “Subsequently 10 hotspots were identified for immediate protection. Chellanam, being the worst affected, was given top priority. In association with NCCR Chennai, we deployed protection measures like hybrid solutions. The design, as well as the estimate, was accepted by Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB),” he said.The project will be implemented by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation (KIIDC), a special purpose vehicle under the Water Resources Department.

REHABILITATION EFFORTS
As a relief to the residents of the P&T colony, the Kochi mayor said the rehabilitation of the families will be done soon. The families will be rehabilitated to the apartment complex (82 houses) constructed by the GCDA at Mundemveli. The mayor visited the site on Wednesday to check its progress. He said the project will be completed by February 2022.

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