Tetrapods protect Chellanam coastal shores

KOCHI: There was a time when people of Chellanam heard the IMD announcements with bated breath. The reason? The fear of bearing the brunt of the angry sea. However, this time around when the red alert and warnings regarding the harsh weather conditions were issued by the district disaster management authority, the people didn’t scurry for cover.

“The tetrapods installed along the coastline are effectively protecting the shores,” said Jinson Veluthamannunga, a resident of Bazaar in Chellanam panchayat. According to him, Bazaar used to be the worst affected in the past. “The last time when Cyclone Tauktae made landfall, it wreaked havoc destroying many houses and the sea water incursion damaged the properties,” he said.

This time around, all that residents of Bazaar got to see was the waves retreating after smashing into the tetrapods. “Ours had been a struggle that lasted nearly a decade. Now, we are reaping the benefits of the struggle. The 7.3km-long tetrapod protection is withstanding the angry waves trying to breach the shores,” he said.

According to him, the tetrapods have been installed after taking into consideration the height of the waves that lashed the shores during Cyclone Tauktae.Cleetus Punnakal, a member of Chellanam Janakeeya Vedi, said, “This time, no report of seawater incursion has been received from anywhere in Chellanam panchayat. In Kannamaly too, unlike last time, no seawater incursion was reported.

“The geo bags installed along the coast prevented the waves from entering the shores. The authorities also constructed bund-like protection that channelled the water coming to the shore back into the sea.”
Hence, the usual scene of women and men picking up their kids and household items to make a run to safety was not witnessed in Chellanam.