Kerala’s Opposition Leader attacks State govt for neglecting coastal erosion  

Kerala's Leader of the Opposition raises concerns over coastal erosion, government neglect, and lack of solutions for affected residents.

Ordinary residents of coastal areas live a life of misery after rough sea conditions have caused serious coastal erosion, plunging residents into a situation in which they can neither seek proper medical help nor send children to school, said Kerala’s Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan here on July 6.

Pointing out that there is “widespread suspicion” that the Kerala government has planned to evict people from their residences in coastal areas, Mr. Satheesan said the issue will be raised in the State Assembly.

Mr. Satheesan was speaking to reporters after visiting Edavanakad where around 2.5 km of the coast is under erosion.

“The situation in neighbouring Nayarambalam is the same. The Goshree Island Development Authority (GIDA) constituted to find solutions to problems such as sea erosion faced by coastal residents near Kochi is ineffective. The authority does not even convene regular meetings,” he said.

Mr. Satheesan said granite sea walls have not been renovated after the 2004 tsunami. If the sea wall is repaired, it will offer at least a partial solution to the problem. Instead, the government makes periodic announcements of massive packages for the coastal areas but spends little nor no money to secure the lives of the people, he said.

Coastal development meetings – Theera Sadass — were held in all the important coastal centres by the State Fisheries Minister. The poor people were promised solutions in these meetings. But no project has been implemented, he said.

The neglect of the government adds to the burden of the coastal people who are unable to go fishing regularly because of weather warnings. They face an acute shortage of fish catch and have to address the spiralling cost of fuel for the fishing boats. The fishermen were given a subsidy of ₹25 when kerosene cost ₹40 a litre during the time of former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy. Even now, the same subsidy amount has continued when the price of the fuel is ₹140 a litre, he pointed out.