Thiruvananthapuram: The 590-km coastline of Kerala would soon get protection from geo-tubes instead of conventional granite seawalls, thanks to the new coastal conservation plan put into effect by the state government.

Detailing the initiative at the Assembly, Fisheries Minister J Mercykutty Amma on Thursday said the government was planning to use off-shore breakwater system to protect the seashore.

It would bring in a change in the conventional practice of protecting coasts using boulders and sandbags.

The move was after taking into account environmental issues caused by the use of granite and other such materials for constructing seawalls, the Minister said.

"The first initiative in this regard will be launched at Punthura here this month," she said.

A total of Rs 150 crore has been sanctioned from the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) for the whole project and Rs 17 crore was earmarked for Punthura alone, the Minister said.

If the 700-metre project from Punthura to Valiyathura succeeds, the off-shore breakwater system would be extended to Shangumukham six km away, she said.

The off-shore breakwater geo-tubes have successfully been implemented in places like Chennai and Visakhapatnam, the Minister added.

Deploying granite blocks and erecting seawall using boulders and sandbags had been the conventional practice in the southern state to check sea erosion and protect the coasts from high tides.