THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Huge holes have been detected on the iconic Varkala Cliff, triggering safety concerns in one of the most popular tourist destinations in the state. It took a truckload of sand to fill the two craters formed on the 6.1km-long red laterite cliff, already under threat of erosion.
The formation of the two “very deep” holes is part of the total degeneration of the cliff caused by severe sea erosion, wave attacks, widespread illegal constructions and lack of proper sewage system.
The Varkala Cliff was declared a Geo Heritage Site by the Geological Survey of India in 2014.
“We found very deep holes on the cliff, near the Nature Care Hospital, four days back, and we swiftly unloaded one truck of sand to fill them to avoid accidents and landslides,” said Sanjay Sahadevan, advisor to Varkala Tourism Development Association. The association has sent a letter to Tourism Minister P A Mohamed Riyas on the incident.
According to sources, tourism authorities have decided to take up the issue with the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) so that emergency measures could be initiated to protect the cliff.
‘Studies on protecting Varkala cliff’
“In the past four five years, several studies have been conducted on how to protect the cliff, and with each passing year, the unique sedimentary geo-morphological structure is eroding rapidly. We had pitched many projects to conserve the cliff, but they are not allowing us to do anything. People are falling off the cliff because of landslides, and the rain is going to accelerate the process of erosion,” said Sanjay.
The National Centre for Earth Science Studies launched a study jointly with National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) to protect the cliff back in 2019. The Rs 1.82 crore study was funded by the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES). The study has proposed interventions worth Rs 140 crore to protect the cliff. Vision Varkala Infrastructure Development Corporation Ltd MD V Ramachandran Potty told TNIE that the government has engaged the Centre for Water Resources Development and Management (CWRDM) to study the generation of wastewater by commercial establishments and resorts on the cliff. There are around 200 resorts on the cliff and the septage waste generated daily is directly released to the cliff.
