Kerala: Kannamali residents plan road blockade on July 5

Kochi: Residents of Kannamali in Chellanam have decided to block the Fort Kochi-Alappuzha coastal road on July 5 to protest against the State government’s alleged apathy in finding a permanent solution to sea attacks. The protest will be held under the aegis of the Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedi (CJV). “The government had promised to cover the entire 10-km-long Chellanam coast with seawall and tetrapods by 2021. However, work has been completed on only 7.36 km,” said V T Sebastian, convener of CJV. The government has given administrative approval for construction of stone seawall and laying of tetrapods up to the CMS bridge, six bridge groynes in the Bazar-Velankanni area and nine in the Puthenthodu-Kannamali area, he said. An amount of Rs 344.2 crore has been set aside through KIIFB. Tushar Nirmal, Suja Bharathi and Joseph Jayan Kunnel of the CJV said the government’s argument that the allocated funds had been exhausted by the time the 7.36-km-long seawall and six groynes were built was unacceptable to them. “On June 9, 2023, water resources minister Roshi Augustine said Rs 320 crore was needed for the next phase and work would begin on November 1, 2023. On October 3, 2023, industries minister P Rajeev said Rs 247 crore had been spent on the second phase. However, now they are saying that since the central government has imposed restrictions on KIIFB, work will not be done. Saying there is no money for coastal defence while there is no shortage of funds for the coastal road and K-Rail is unacceptable,” said a CJV member.