Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 20 (PTI) Keralam Chief Minister V D Satheesan will on September 22 inaugurate the construction of a sea wall at Pozhiyoor here as part of a Rs 93.22 crore coastal protection project, Minister Mons Joseph said on Sunday.
The project will address the longstanding demand of the fishing community in the Pozhiyoor coastal area of Neyyattinkara constituency, which has been facing the threat of sea erosion, the Water Resources minister said.
Due to intense sea waves, the Pozhiyoor and Kollamcode areas have suffered coastal erosion and damage, causing severe hardship to more than 3,000 fishing families and other residents and damaging the nearby state highway, he said.
After the UDF government came to power following the 2026 assembly elections, residents submitted a petition to Satheesan, Joseph, Fisheries Minister VE Abdul Gafoor and area MLA N Shakthan, seeking a solution to the problem.
Based on the petition, the government sought the relevant file from the Water Resources Department and, in consultation with the CM, decided to implement a sea wall and coastal protection project, Joseph said.
Subsequently, the government decided to implement a comprehensive coastal protection and development project at a cost of Rs 93.22 crore under the supervision of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation, using Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board funds, the minister said.
The project is aimed at providing a permanent solution to the severe sea erosion that has affected the coastal areas of Pozhiyoor and Kollamcode for years, he added.
Under the project, a comprehensive protection system covering a 1,700-metre stretch will be implemented by combining the sea wall with breakwater structures made of tetrapods, as suggested by coastal residents and technical experts, the minister said.
Once completed, the project is expected to significantly reduce coastal erosion in the Pozhiyoor and Kollamcode areas and provide long-term protection to houses, roads and public facilities, he said.
A total of 11 breakwater structures will be constructed as part of the project, while a 4.5-metre-wide walkway will be built on top of the sea wall, he added. PTI HMP SSK
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