Residents of the coastal village of Chellanam have sought more permanent measures like erection of tetrapods to prevent sea erosion and consequent flooding of homes on a long-term basis, as the geo textile tube laying project is yet to be completed even after three years of efforts. Tetrapods are four-legged’ concrete structures that can resist sea waves and coastal erosion. The demand was raised in the wake of heavy flooding of around 50 homes recently following a sea swell. Two houses were severely damaged, and residents came out of their homes to protest even as three wards of the panchayat have been classified as red zones to contain COVID-19 spread. K.V. Thomas, former head of the Coastal Processing Group at the National Centre for Earth Sciences Studies, echoed the feelings of Chellanam residents when he said that both immediate and long-term measures were needed to save lives. According to him, geo textile tube laying is only a temporary measure, and a long-term study, which may take over two years, is needed to generate data for a long-term strategy to contain sea erosion and protect lives and property. T.A. Dalphine of Paschima Kochi Theera Samrakshana Samiti said people were tired of official apathy. The COVID-19 situation has made their lives even more miserable. There is also a prediction of rain getting more intense and the sea turning rough. Charles George, veteran fisheries union leader, said the problem of Chellanam went back a hundred years, and that no strategy appeared to have been drawn up to help the residents. There have been substantial changes in the flow of currents and tides over the last hundred years. Serious coastal erosion and flooding have several reasons, and developmental activity over the last more than 100 years, including dredging, is one among them. Dr. Thomas said ideas like recreation of the natural beach, being experimented in Cuddalore and Puducherry, and depositing dredged materials in an area needed to be explored. He added that data generation was important in developing a model.
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