State facing severe sea erosion

 
Kerala is facing unusually severe sea erosion this month, Minister for Water Resources N.K.Premachandran said on Friday. He was visiting the affected areas here. There were demand for protection of he coasts using tetra pods, Mr.Premachandran said. Though the Government had received a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) in this respect, the costs were prohibitive. However, two breakwaters using tetra pods would be conducted near Poonthura estuary in the Thiruvananthapuram district on experimental basis. Similar experimental works would be taken up in Kollam and Alappuzha district also, he said.  It would be possible to spend Rs.300 crore under the Award of the Central Finance Commission and the Tsunami Rehabilitation Project for construction of sea wall in the next four years. Mr.Premachandran said. But rock needed for the work was not available from approved quarries.

However, urgent works would be undertaken in the areas affected by sea erosion. A sum of Rs.21 crore would be spent to build a sea wall at Arattupuzha as per the specifications of the IIT. Construction of permanent sea walls would be taken up in other places after the monsoon, he said.

(The Hindu,9th  June  2007)