Sea erosion has damaged homes, destroyed a coastal connecting road and brought down the compound wall of St Mary Magdalene Church’s cemetery at Paruthiyoor in Pozhiyoor, near Thekke Kollencode, after heavy rain on Monday, disrupting movement for fishing families along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border.
The cemetery wall collapsed under the impact of powerful waves, leaving graves exposed to the risk of further damage. Around five houses in the area have also been affected, according to a report by the Times of India.
The Thekke Kollencode-Neerody border road has been completely destroyed by the sea. Its loss has disrupted travel between coastal settlements and created particular difficulties for fishing families. The damaged access route has also complicated the transportation of bodies to the cemetery for burial.
Residents have renewed their demand for the immediate construction of groynes along the coastal stretch between Thekke Kollencode and Paruthiyoor. They said temporary repairs would not provide lasting protection and urged authorities to prioritise the worst-affected section before another spell of rough seas.
The damage follows a similar episode in May, when coastal roads and residential areas in the Pozhiyoor-Neerody belt suffered extensive destruction. The repeated incidents have highlighted the exposure of settlements located along the Kerala-Tamil Nadu border to wave action and coastal erosion.
The Kerala government launched a Rs 93.22-crore coastal protection project in September covering about 1,700 metres of coastline. The project proposes a combination of a seawall and 11 tetrapod groynes. It is being funded through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, or KIIFB, with implementation entrusted to the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation.
The project’s planned protection works have not prevented residents from seeking immediate intervention for the stretches now facing damage. The latest erosion has affected housing, road connectivity and access to a religious cemetery within the same coastal belt, increasing the pressure for work to be expedited.
“The repeated sea attacks have 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,” Kulathoor panchayat president P N Jinesh said.
Residents are seeking urgent action on the Thekke Kollencode-Paruthiyoor stretch, while the proposed coastal protection project remains the main planned intervention identified for the wider area.
