With cyclonic storms, sea advancement and rough sea conditions posing constant threat to the coastline in Kerala, the irrigation department has come up with a comprehensive Shore Management Plan for the state. Shankhumukham and Pozhiyoor beaches in the capital are two of the ten hotspots identified by the department for the shore protection plan.
The plan is to come up with suitable sea protection designs to prevent sea erosion and protect the shorelines and help tourism and fishing activities in the state. The department has tied up with the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) for preparing the detailed project report (DPR) for the protection of the identified hotspots. A senior official told TNIE that the NCCR has already come up with a design for the protection of the Kollamcode beach at Pozhiyoor.
“We have already kicked off beach protection work at Chellanam in Kochi — one of the worst-hit coastline in Kerala. The project is being implemented with financial assistance from KIIFB (Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board). Shankhumugham and Pozhiyoor are the other two priority spots identified which are being included in the shore management plan,” said the official. The DPR for Pozhiyoor is ready and NCCR has proposed a sea wall there.
“The interventions are being recommended based on a study on the particular coastline and NCCR has recommended a 1.6km-long sea wall at Pozhiyoor and the project is estimated to cost around Rs 50 crore. The plan is to implement the project within a time-frame of two years,” said the official.
On Monday, a team from NCCR along with officials of the irrigation department visited Shankhumukham and Pozhiyoor beaches. The NCCR has recommended offshore breakwater for Shankhumugham beach. With complaints mounting on the durability of off-shore breakwaters using geotubes, the department is planning for a different approach. The Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA) is currently implementing an off-shore breakwater project at Poonthura at a cost of Rs 19 crore.
“Geotube offshore breakwaters are turning out to be a failure in many places. Hence, we have decided to construct an offshore breakwater using stones and concrete armour units. The design of the project is ready and we will submit the proposal to KIIFB within two or three weeks,” the official said.
According to officials, the offshore breakwater project at Shankhumukham is likely to cost more. “The project is going to cost more than Rs 50 crore and it will take two to three years to be completed. A similar project has been implemented at Ullal in Mangaluru,” said the official. The official said KIIFB is trying to get the World Bank or Asian Development Bank to fund the project. “We will be submitting the project to KIIFB and the source of funding is yet to be finalised,” the official added.
A50 cr for constructing 1.6-km sea wall at Pozhiyoor as per NCCR recommendation
Latest development on Monday, a team from NCCR along with officials of the irrigation department visited Shankhumukham and Pozhiyoor beaches. With complaints mounting on the durability of off-shore breakwaters using geotubes, the department is planning for a different approach
A19 cr for implementing the off-shore breakwater project at Poonthura