A low atmospheric pressure that formed in the South Atlantic Ocean on March 23 triggered swell waves, known as ‘Kallakkadal’ locally, along the coast of Kerala, sparking panic along the coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Thrissur districts, according to a statement issued by the Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a Central government agency that issues weather warnings for fishermen in the country.
The swell waves, without providing any signs in the local winds, at times cause severe flooding events along the east and west coasts of India. The phenomenon often causes destruction along the coast, with fishermen losing fishing gear and vessels due to sudden coastal flooding. As a result of the low pressure area formed over the Atlantic Ocean moving into the Indian Ocean, high swell waves in the range of 11 m were formed, which finally reached the coast of Kerala and Lakshadweep, said the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) in a statement here on Tuesday.
The statement issued by the INCOIS also said that the high waves witnessed by Kerala and Lakshadweep on the morning of March 31 are likely to be seen over the west coast of the country for another two days before weakening gradually. The eastern coast of India, like the coasts of Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, West Bengal, and Andaman and Nicobar Islands, is also likely to experience it on Tuesday, according to the statement.
Tourism curbs
The swell waves, coupled with the rough sea conditions, wreaked havoc in several coastal hamlets of Kerala on Sunday, flooding houses and roads and damaging boats and fishing gear. The coastal areas of Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, and Thrissur districts bore the brunt of the unexpected high surge, with waves inundating the beaches and the areas adjacent to them.
The Kallakadal event also forced the Tourism department to temporarily suspend the operations of seven floating bridges set up across the State.
