KOCHI: “Things can turn turbulent at any moment. Come back to the same spot after a couple of weeks and see for yourself,” 78-year-old Unnikrishnan of Kannamaly told me two weeks ago while working on a report highlighting the need for an effective sea wall in the area.
His prediction was spot on. “Ha! You are back,” Unnikrishnan exclaims, standing in knee-deep water in his compound. “This is our fate.”
With the monsoon intensifying, the relentless fury of the sea has brought forth despair along Kochi’s coastal hamlets such as Kannamaly, Cheriyakadavu, Kattiparambu and Andikadavu. Residents of these areas echo that it is a harsh reality of Kochi that unveils itself with each passing monsoon season. As dark clouds gather and downpour descends, they brace themselves for an all too familiar affliction.
Some of them believe the 7.5 tetrapod sea wall in Chellanam has aggravated tides in nearby areas. “The situation has worsened over the past two years,” says Baby K in Kannamali.
The once-thriving coastal communities now stand as silent reminders of human vulnerability in the face of nature’s wrath. Residents stress that their resilience and resolve in the face of calamity should not overshadow the pressing need for long-term solutions that will safeguard their homes and preserve their way of life.
“Who is there for us?” wails Pranchi Tharayapparambu, sitting in front of a waterlogged church, as I leave Cheriyakadavu. “There is no one… there is no one….”