The construction of the tetrapod seawall at Chellanam will be carried out in a time-bound manner, Minister for Water Resources Roshy Augustine has said.
The State government has accorded top priority to the project. Construction of the seawall has been completed along 7.3 km, and funds have been sanctioned for the remaining 3.5 km. The Minister was speaking at a review meeting held on Friday (July 4, 2025) to assess the sea erosion situation in the Chellanam and Kannamaly areas.
Residents of the area had staged a public protest following severe sea erosion during the monsoon.
The Minister said the government had selected Chellanam for the tetrapod seawall project for coastal protection in response to popular demand. He added that the seawall would not only help prevent erosion but also open up opportunities for beach tourism in the region.
The State government has initiated coastal protection measures along a 41-km stretch with financial assistance from the World Bank. Estimates have been received for works at Shangumugham (₹71.50 crore), Kollemcode (₹43.65 crore), Alappad (₹172.50 crore), and Kappad (₹76.26 crore).
“The government will implement coastal protection works worth ₹4,013 crore across the State,” he said.
K.J. Maxy, MLA, Father Johney Xavier Puthukkattu, Chellanam panchayat president K.L. Joseph, Irrigation department Executive Engineer B. Abbas, and Superintending Engineer P.S. Koshy attended the meeting held at Kannamaly.
Published – July 04, 2025 09:44 pm IST
