As relentless waves battered the Chellanam coastline on Monday, hundreds of families were left battling the sea with little more than sandbags and prayer. The latest monsoon surge has caused the worst sea incursion in four years, damaging over 500 homes in the coastal panchayat and sparking renewed demands for urgent infrastructure protection.
In Cheriyakadavu, one of the worst-hit regions, residents like Nelson Chooledath Parambil and his family watched helplessly as seawater crept into their homes. Sandbags proved futile against the high tides, which submerged parts of the household and overwhelmed geobags placed earlier as a temporary measure. On Sunday, one home was destroyed entirely, and by Monday afternoon, nearly 200 homes were damaged in Cheriyakadavu alone.
Locals took to the streets, blocking the busy Kannamali Road, demanding immediate action. Community organisations have called for a dawn-to-dusk hartal across Chellanam and West Kochi on June 30, urging the government to extend the tetrapod seawall to currently unprotected zones. The sea wall, completed in December last year, stretches 7.36 kilometres from the Chellanam fishing harbour to Puthenthodu Beach.
Experts and community leaders argue that partial defences only exacerbate vulnerabilities. “Overflowing sewage tanks are worsening public health risks, and the spread of communicable diseases is a growing concern.” Environmental advocates point out that Chellanam’s crisis highlights broader failures in climate-resilient coastal planning.
The region has long been identified as vulnerable to rising sea levels and storm surges, yet the completion of a comprehensive defence system remains piecemeal. The washed-away geobags and failed sandbags serve as stark reminders of the inadequacy of short-term fixes.The People’s Forum has announced a series of protest programmes in the days leading up to the hartal.
For many in Chellanam, this is not just a battle against the ocean, but also a plea for dignity, protection, and the right to live safely in their ancestral homes. The residents now wait for the state government to respond with urgency not just statements. As Kerala faces more intense and frequent monsoons, Chellanam’s call echoes across the state’s shores: sea walls must be inclusive, holistic, and future-proof.
