Thiruvananthapuram: A Rs 93.22-crore coastal protection project will be implemented along the Pozhiyoor-Kollencode coast in Neyyattinkara constituency, where repeated sea attacks and erosion have threatened homes, roads and public infrastructure, water resources minister Mons Joseph said.Chief minister V D Satheesan will inaugurate construction of the coastal protection works at Pozhiyoor at 4pm on Monday. The project will be funded through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board and implemented by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation.The project will protect around 1,700 metres of coastline via an integrated system of seawalls and eleven groynes using tetrapods. The stretch from Pozhiyoor and Kollencode towards Paruthiyoor has faced severe erosion during strong sea attacks, affecting shoreline families and damaging the state highway. More than 3,000 families in the belt face the erosion threat, the minister said.A 4.5-metre-wide concrete walkway will also be built atop the seawall, doubling as a pedestrian facility and part of the protection structure.The project was taken up following demands from local residents and fishing communities for measures to address the recurring coastal erosion. Joseph said the govt decided on the comprehensive plan after examining the issue with concerned departments.
