KOCHI: Water Resources and Irrigation Minister Roshy Augustine has announced the much-talked-about Rs 344-crore coastal protection project. The project would be a huge relief for the people of Chellanam who have been dealing with sea erosion and incursion for decades. According to the minister, the project will be implemented on a war footing. “Chellanam is our coastal state’s sorrow. The project aims to put an end to the yearly process of shifting the residents of Chellanam to safety during monsoon at least by next year,” said the minister.
The tender proceedings for the project will begin on September 15. “Entire process will be completed by November,” he said. Augustine said the rest of the procedures will be dealt with by the DPR. “The responsibility for the same has been entrusted with the Irrigation Department. The department will be preparing the DPR based on the study report done by the National Centre for Coastal Research based in Chennai. Funds for the same will also be provided,” he said.
According to him, phase I of the project will be implemented in 10 hotspots in the state that are facing severe sea erosion. “Within five years, the government plans to protect the state’s entire coastline by fully utilising `5,300 crore earmarked for the purpose. The project is being introduced in Chellanam first,” said the minister. A tourism centre will also be opened at Chellanam in association with the Tourism Department, said the minister.