THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The move of the authorities to rope in Army personnel for the protection of Shankhumugham beach road - a crucial corridor connecting the Trivandrum International Airport - has hit a dead end with the latter refusing to take up the job.
Around 240 metres of the road at Shankhumukham has been severely damaged in violent waves and severe sea erosion. Though the state government has granted Rs 5.32 crore to the PWD for the restoration of the road, the authorities feel it would be a waste of money to take up the work without undertaking protection measures to safeguard the beach.
With the PWD all set to launch the work, it has approached the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and Naval Base Kochi to prepare an effective design for the beach protection project. “We hope to start work in a week or two. By then, the sea would calm down. Since there is no shoreline at Shankhumukham, we need to wait for the sea to recede before the work can be undertaken,” said a senior PWD official.
He added: “We approached the Army considering its track record, but it has refused. The officials advised us to approach the Naval Base in Kochi which we did. We are waiting for their response,” the official added. Only then can the work start. “The restoration should be launched simultaneously with the beach protection project. There is no point in spending crores on road restoration without finding a permanent solution for sea erosion,” the official said.
Sad state of the beach
Shankhumukham ward councillor Solomon Vettukadu said the condition of the beach is worsening everyday. “The residents are furious as this has been the situation for the past many years. A reason for the delay in undertaking work is because the stretch was under the custody of Kerala Road Fund Board. Only recently did they hand it over to the PWD. Now efforts are on to resolve the issue and the PWD minister has intervened,” said Solomon Vettukadu. Last year, the walkway and other tourism infrastructure at the beach were severely damaged in sea erosion.”
What experts say
K V Thomas, a former scientist with the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS), said unscientific interventions are destroying the shorelines. “Shankhumukham beach is an asset. Fifteen years ago, there used to be a beautiful beach at Valiyathura. Thiruvananthapuram was blessed with luxurious shoreline but the beach stretch from Kovalam to Shankhumukham is slowly vanishing now. We need to make scientific interventions. A beach reformation project is required at Shankhumukham and this has to be planned based on a study. The detailed project report (DPR) of such projects should be thoroughly discussed,” said Thomas.
He said the project should be drawn up after conducting a study based on sediment cell. “We have enough data with various agencies and the study may not take much time. If properly planned, the project could be executed at least by next year,” Thomas added.
Road work
Though the state government has granted Rs 5.32 crore to the PWD for the restoration of the road, the authorities feel it would be a waste of money to take up the work without undertaking protection measures to safeguard the beach.