Kochi: Kannamaly residents have called off their protest demanding an appropriate solution for sea incursion after the officials promised to take immediate action. Manorama News reported that Ernakulam sub-collector visited the protesters and promised them that the district authority will look into the possibility of tetrapod seawall construction in the area.
The people here started a siege on the coastal road here around 9 am on Thursday. They decided to end their four-hour-long protest after the sub-collector told them that necessary action will be taken soon. Women, children and senior citizens participated in the protest battling with the heavy rains.
Over 300 houses in the area are completely inundated as sea incursion intensified in the area. Tetrapods were installed only in a small part of the coastal area stretching from Chellanam south. But no action was initiated to extend the work to the Kannamaly area. The residents complained that sea incursion has been troubling Kannamaly natives for a long time.
" We won't move to relief camps. We don't need food kits. We demand an appropriate solution to address our woes," said a woman while staging protest here.
Over 300 houses are inundated in Kannamaly after sea surge battered the geobags.
The locals complained that sea water is flowing into their homes and they are unable to even meet their basic needs at their houses.
“ All houses are flooded here. We can't even prepare tea in our kitchen. All families are starving from last night. Many of us spend the night on terrace. Toilets are also not in a condition for use,” complained the women while protesting in Kannamaly.
Locals including senior citizens and children have been laying siege on the road demanding action to protect their lives and houses from sea attacks. They demanded that tetrapods should be installed immediately on the shore to prevent the sea surge. The locals had declared that they won't call off the protest until the authority assures proper action.
Apart from Ernakulam, sea incursion intensified in Kollam and Kasaragod districts. Constructions in Kollam beach were destroyed due to coastal erosion. The protection wall was seen completely collapsed on this beach.
In Ernakulam's coastal Chellanam area, residents were in considerable distress as the bad weather led to the stormy seas washing over the tetrapods on the beach and breaching the geobags, set up as a wall, to flow into their homes. "Our homes are damaged and filled with salty water. We have lost everything. Kids have to go to school, but how will they?" a woman resident of the area told TV channels. Another resident said that the geobags proved ineffective in stopping the seawater from getting through.
India Meteorological Department has sounded a yellow alert in Ernakulam on Thursday.
