Chellanam families return to abandoned homes, trusting government’s promise of second-phase tetrapod seawall construction

P.B. George, 42, a casual labourer, has not been going to work for the past few days.

Instead, he has been dedicating his labour to restoring his house along the seashore at Puthenthode in Chellanam, which he abandoned more than one-and-a-half years ago. George, along with his wife Sibi George, 39, and their two sons, aged 10 and 15, was forced to move into a rented house after their home was invaded by the sea in June 2024.

“The work area and bathroom were completely destroyed by the marauding waves. We have now built two additional rooms on the opposite side, where the risk of sea incursion is lower. The expenses have already reached around ₹75,000,” said Ms. George, a homemaker who was compelled to take up a job at a textile shop to manage the increased costs, including a monthly rent of ₹5,000.

Now, the family has been asked to vacate the rented house by the owner, who intends to sell the property. Unable to find another house at an affordable rent, they have decided to return to their abandoned home. The government’s promise to construct a tetrapod-based seawall along the 3.60-km stretch from Puthenthode to Cheriyakkadavu in Chellanam, at an estimated cost of ₹306 crore under the second phase of the project, also influenced their decision.

“Many families in the worst-affected areas of Puthenthode, Kannamaly, and Cheriyakkadavu are returning to their near-abandoned homes, trusting the government’s assurance to implement the second phase of the tetrapod seawall construction. Moreover, many can no longer afford to pay rent,” said V.T. Sebastian, general convenor of the Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi, an organisation at the forefront of the protest demanding a permanent solution to sea incursion.

Maintenance work on several homes that were nearly abandoned for over a year along the shores of Puthenthode, Kannamaly, and Cheriyakkadavu is progressing rapidly. Bathrooms and septic tanks filled with sand are being restored, and power connections are being reactivated.

However, there has been little progress in initiating the second phase of seawall construction, even more than 100 days after its announcement on July 2. The first phase of the project, covering a 7.30-km stretch from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed in 2023 at a cost of ₹347 crore. Although the original plan included the remaining 3.60-km stretch from Puthenthode to Cheriyakkadavu, the project executor — Uralungal Labour Contract Co-operative Society Ltd — was only able to complete up to Puthenthode due to a revised estimate.

Meanwhile, the Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi is preparing to mark the seventh year of its protest by holding a day-long dharna at Thoppumpady on October 28.