Severe sea erosion in Pozhiyoor has damaged around five houses, destroyed the Thekke Kollencode–Neerody border road and brought down the compound wall of St Mary Magdalene Church cemetery at Paruthiyoor after heavy rain on Monday, disrupting connectivity for coastal residents and fishing families.
Powerful waves have left graves vulnerable to further damage at the cemetery, which is located near Thekke Kollencode along the Kerala–Tamil Nadu border. Residents are also facing difficulties travelling between coastal settlements, while the loss of road access has complicated the transportation of bodies to the cemetery for burial.
The destruction has renewed demands for immediate coastal protection works, particularly groynes along the stretch between Thekke Kollencode and Paruthiyoor. Residents said temporary repairs would not provide lasting relief and urged authorities to prioritise the worst-affected sections before another spell of rough seas.
The latest incident follows a similar episode in May, when coastal roads and residential areas in the Pozhiyoor–Neerody belt suffered extensive damage. The repeated incidents have highlighted the exposure of homes, transport links and community facilities along the border coastline.
The Kerala government launched a Rs 93.22-crore coastal protection project in September covering approximately 1,700 metres of coastline. The project envisages a seawall and 11 tetrapod groynes and is being funded through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board. Implementation has been entrusted to the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation.
Residents, however, have sought urgent protection for the stretches facing the most immediate damage rather than waiting for temporary restoration measures. Kulathoor panchayat president P N Jinesh said the repeated sea attacks had caused serious damage to houses, roads and the cemetery.
“The immediate priority is to protect vulnerable families and restore connectivity. We will take up the issue with the authorities and seek urgent intervention to ensure that the coastal protection works are expedited,” Jinesh said.
The panchayat is expected to take up the damage and the demand for expedited protection works with the authorities. The proposed seawall and groynes project remains the main planned intervention for the affected coastline.
