Fabrication of tetrapods, to be deployed for coastal protection at Chellanam, is expected to reach full momentum after the first half of March.
Once full capacity production is reached, up to 590 tetrapods can be fabricated a day, sources close to the coastal protection work said on Monday.
A total of 123 tetrapods have already been fabricated and are ready for test before they can be deployed for the coastal wall. The project involves production of a total of 58,790 tetrapods weighing two tonnes each and 77,190 tetrapods of 3.5 tonnes each. As many as 45 moulds are available now for fabrication. More moulds will be available later to reach the full production level, the sources added.
The current phase of the coastal protection work involves 7.33 km comprising the segment between the Chellanam fishing harbour and Cheriyakadavu-Companypady.
There will be breakwaters at two spots. These are the segments between Velankanni Church and Bazaar and between Puthenthod and Kannamaly. In the first segment, there will six breakwaters, four of them in ‘T’ shape and two in ‘I’ shape. There will be nine breakwaters in the second segment, two in ‘I’ shape and seven in ‘T’ shape.
Residents apprehensive
Meanwhile, Chellanam residents, especially those in the Bazaar area, expressed apprehension over the possibility of more woes in the coming rainy season, as work on tetrapod barriers would commence only after bids for erecting breakwaters were invited.
Jinson Veluthamannungal of Paschima Kochi Theera Samrakshan Samiti said Bazaar and Velankanni areas were the most vulnerable to sea erosion. The residents have suggested measures to rebuild the beach by using dredged materials from the Kochi shipping channel as immediate steps that can help reduce the impact of the rainy season on the coast.