In a departure from the traditional method of using seawalls to protect the shoreline from coastal erosion, the government has launched a pilot project to build a geotube-based offshore breakwater system at Poonthura. Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the project online on Tuesday. “The accelerated erosion along the Poonthura-Valiathura coast and the failure of seawalls as an effective coastal defence mechanism led the government to think of this option,” he said. The Rs. 150-crore project will be funded by the Kerala Industrial Infrastructure Fund Board (KIIFB) and implemented by the Coastal Development Corporation with technical support from the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
The pilot phase will cover 700 m off the Poonthura coast. With the loss of sand from the beach, fishermen have been finding it tough to haul their boats ashore. During the monsoon when the sea turns rough, they have no option but to depend on the Vizhinjam harbour to put out to sea. The breakwater will intercept the waves and reduce their intensity to prevent coastal erosion and allow beach nourishment. It will be extended from Valiathura to Beemapally and Shanghumghom later. Fisheries Minister J. Mercykutty Amma presided over the function which also saw the inauguration of a project to deposit artificial reefs along the coast to provide a breeding ground for fish. V.S. Sivakumar, MLA, was among those present.
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