Work has begun to plant tetrapods to protect the Chelanum coast from sea erosion, while residents fear that the casting and installation of the concrete structures may be delayed.
Sources close to the project said that the establishment of tetrapods had started in three sections – Chelanam Fishing Harbour, Bazar and Kandakkadavu. Deployment in Companypady section has just started. A total of 1,450 tetrapods are now present in the two sections of the coast, while 5,920 tetrapods each weighing two tons and 2,400 tetrapods of 3.5 tons each have already been cast.
The deployment of tetrapods is part of a Rs 344 crore project. In the first phase of the project, about 7 km of the most vulnerable stretch of the coast will come under tetrapod protection. The groins are also expected to be formed during the second phase of the coastal conservation work.
A total of 1.25 lakh tetrapods of two weight categories would be required to cover the first phase of the coastal section between Chelanam Mini Fishing Harbor and Kannamali.
The Chelanam coast, which was badly hit by Cyclone Ockhi in December 2017, is the most vulnerable among the 10 coastal areas identified by the state government. Concrete cast tetrapods are being deployed, as the availability of granite boulders of the required size has decreased significantly, delaying both repair and new work on the seawalls.