The Kerala Sastra Sahitya Parishad (KSSP) has urged the State government to urgently prepare a comprehensive 'Shore Management Plan' for protecting the erosion-ravaged Kerala coast through eco-friendly solutions.
The KSSP, at a two-day district conference, passed a resolution demanding the government to avoid use of 'hard structures' like seawalls and groynes for coastal protection and, instead, opt for 'soft solutions' like beach nourishment and offshore submerged reefs.
The resolution noted that the National Green Tribunal, in an April 11 order, had urged coastal states to prepare shore management plans and favour softer options over hard structures.
Environment-friendly solutions should be employed urgently to revive the vanished beaches in Thiruvananthapuram district, especially Shangumughom where the construction of a diaphragm wall had upset the equilibrium of the coast and opened up the possibility of erosion to its north, the resolution said.
The fishery harbours at Vizhinjam and Muthalappozhi, and the more recent development of the Vizhinjam international seaport, have aggravated coastal erosion in Thiruvananthapuram district. These man-made structures have upset the natural processes of the coast, hindering the movement of coastal sand and its accretion.
This manmade situation is further aggravated by the climate change and the rise of sea water levels. ''It can be said without a doubt that the Thiruvananthapuram coast is experiencing a man-made disaster,'' the resolution said.
Decades ago, sandy beaches lined the 78-km coastline of Thiruvananthapuram district. Today, about 25 kilometres have been transformed into seawall-lined coast, sans beaches. Thickly-populated places like Kollengode, Pozhiyoor, Panathura, Poonthura, Beemapally, Valiyathura, Kochuthope, Shangumughom, Thazhampally and Anchuthengu have lost their beaches, leaving them vulnerable to the onslaught of waves, the KSSP noted.
