KOLLAM: Residents of coastal Kollam are under constant threat of wrath from the sea during high tide after seawall construction came to a grinding halt midway owing to ban on quarrying. The major irrigation department has initiated the construction works in all such vulnerable spots along the coastal belt across Kerala, based on an expert report by Chennai IIT, which suggested breakwaters having a width of 35 metres into the sea at every 100 metres along the vulnerable spots.
As an experiment, a breakwater complying with the directions of the IIT team was constructed at the Azheekal beach in Kollam, which proved successful. This has currently been implemented in areas of high sea wrath including Paravoor, Thanni, and Kakkathoppe in the district. At present, the department has tendered works of 26 breakwaters along the coast, of which only two were completed, and the rest stopped for lack of availability of bolsters.
“The new system of constructing breakwaters have been proven efficient in preventing huge waves from gnawing away the shore and destroying livelihoods. Earlier, construction of seawalls was initiated only after sea wrath struck the coasts. Tenders will be called for emergency works, which opens up possibilities for corruption. Nobody will be aware of the total quantity of bolsters dumped in the sea, and it cannot be audited too,” Subhash Kalavara, Seawall and Breakwater Workers Union president, told this newspaper
There are 142 quarries in the district, but only a few are functioning as others await environmental clearance. The demonetisation also added to the paralysis. Meanwhile, the indefinite delay in completing works poses a threat to the lives and properties of coastal residents.
