The State government will take urgent measures to protect the Ottamassery coast near Cherthala, Agriculture Minister P. Prasad has said.
He was speaking after visiting Ottamassery on Sunday. The coastline in Kadakarappally grama panchayat is facing constant sea surges and several houses are on the verge of collapse.
The Irrigation department, last year, launched the construction of seven breakwaters with a total length of 760 metres from CP stone 921 to CP stone 926 at Ottamassery. However, a study conducted by the Indian Institute of Technology- Madras (IIT-M) has observed various changes in the littoral zone including the ocean depth.
“The government had sanctioned ₹17 crore for the construction of breakwaters from CP stone 921 to CP stone 926. However, the project cost has escalated by 60% following the findings of IIT- Madras. The government has not yet accorded administrative sanction for the estimate to carry out additional work. Urgent steps are being taken to get the government nod,” Mr. Prasad said.
The Agriculture Minister will chair a high-level meeting at Thiruvananthapuram on June 13 to discuss the project. Officials from Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, Irrigation department and others will attend the meeting.
Mr. Prasad said the ongoing work at Ottamassery would continue even as the government was in the process of revising the project estimate. Besides the ongoing breakwater construction work, the government plans to build nine more breakwaters at Ottamassery at a cost of ₹26 crore.
