Kerala - Kollam   

Sea erosion victims gherao Minister, Mayor

Staff Reporter

Gurudasan, officials visit coastal areas

KOLLAM: Tension prevailed at the sea erosion-hit Eravipuram-Thani coastal belt of Kollam on Tuesday morning when a group of persons from the fishing community blocked Labour Minister P.K. Gurudasan; Kollam Mayor N. Padmalochanan; and other district administration officers who visited the area for an on-the-spot study of the situation.

The blockade was resorted to when the Minister and others were returning from Thani after visiting the affected areas. As soon as his official car was blocked, Mr. Gurudasan got out of the car and walked towards the demonstrators to listen to their demands. The main demand of the demonstrators was a breakwater project at the Eravipuram-Thani area. They told the Minister that only such a project would find a lasting solution to the vexed sea erosion problem they had been experiencing for the past several years.

No breakwater

Listening to their demands, the Minister began walking through the beach and the crowd moved along with him. He then tried to convince them that a breakwater project in that area was a difficult proposition since it required Central Government clearance and huge funds.

Though the crowd did not seem to be convinced, they forgot the blockade. After walking for almost a kilometre through the beach, Mr. Gurudasan walked towards a waiting jeep, got into it and left the place as the crowd watched.

They then turned their ire towards the Mayor. It led to heated exchange of words between the Mayor and the demonstrators for about 20 minutes. After tempers were cooled, the Mayor and other officers, including District Medical Officer Elizabeth John Zacharia, boarded their official vehicles and left the place.

Cabinet to be informed

Mr. Gurudasan later told The Hindu that he would appraise the Cabinet about the plight of the sea erosion victims during its meeting on Wednesday. He would also request for free ration in the affected areas.

He said that a breakwater project at Eravipuram was not practical.

The Minister also instructed the police not to register cases against those who had blocked him since it was only an emotional outburst.

Work on the erection of a seawall along the Eravipuram-Thani coast would continue, he said. A new 750-meter seawall would be constructed for the protection of the coast on the northern side of the Tangasseri lighthouse.

In this area too, a colony stands threatened by the sea during the monsoon. Members residing in the colony had shifted to a relief camp.

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