Kerala - Alappuzha   

Two panchayats in Alappuzha facing sea erosion threat

A. Harikumar

Ambalappuzha South, Arattupuzha are worst hit

ALAPPUZHA: Two panchayats in the district, Arattupuzha and Ambalappuzha South, are facing serious threat to their existence because of large-scale sea erosion.

Since the onset of the monsoon, as many as 80 concrete houses and several huts were completely destroyed by tidal waves in the Ambalappuzha South panchayat and around 90 houses in the Arattupuzha panchayat. Both the panchayats have lost several acres also in sea erosion.

Arattupuzha panchayat vice-president Sivankunju said at the present rate of erosion, the panchayat might be wiped out by raging waves in the near future. It was most severe at Vattachal area in Arattupuzha this season, said Mr. Sivankunju.

"It is alarming at AKG Nagar, another area in Arattupuzha. Interestingly, erosion is severe in the same area that had been previously ravaged by the tsunami. The raging waves have taken away houses along with land," he said. He said several acres of land had been lost in sea erosion. Mr. Sivankunju noted that the panchayat had lost more than half of its original area in the last 50 years. It was most severe in the last decade, he said.

He said the 14-km Thottappally-Valiyazheekkal coastal road had been severely damaged in sea erosion. The traffic through the five-km Arattupuzha-Valiyazheekkal stretch of the coastal road had been stopped completely, said Mr. Sivankunju. He said the southern end of the panchayat might be cut off at the present rate of erosion.

Meanwhile, the families that lost houses in sea erosion had been rehabilitated in the temporary shelters built for tsunami victims, said Mr. Sivankunju. He called for a detailed scientific study on sea erosion in the panchayat.

Speaking on sea erosion at the Ambalappuzha South panchayat, C. Shamji, block panchayat member, said several acres in the two-kilometre stretch of the coastal area of the panchayat extending from Madhava junction, Neerkunnam, to Kakkazham had been lost.

Mr. Shamji said the area had no sea wall and added it was the reason for the severe erosion. Though some areas in the stretch had remnants of a sea wall it was not made of large rocks as stipulated by the Government, he said.

He said the area began witnessing severe erosion in the last decade and it was becoming more and more severe. He observed that the current erosion was so strong that big concrete houses had been taken away by sea. He said the authorities were mulling over purchasing new land for rehabilitation of the victims.

Mr. Shamji said the area had witnessed mudbanks (Chakara) continuously for about 20 years and erosion started after that. He demanded a scientific study on erosion and construction of a sea wall strong enough to withstand erosion.

The construction of sea wall was unscientific in many places and that reduced its effectiveness in resisting erosion, said Shamji.

Meanwhile, he said Minister for Cooperation G. Sudhakaran had informed that a Rs.8.6-crore project to construct sea wall in the area that had been pending with the Government was approved and construction would soon begin.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Two panchayats in Alappuzha facing sea erosion threat
Ensure power, water supply: MLA

Copyright © 2006, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu