A ship enters the Kochi shipping channel, which is a busy one used jointly by the Cochin Port Authority, Cochin Shipyard, Navy and Coast Guard. The proposal to deepen the channel has people in coastal Chellanam panchayat worried about more aggravated sea erosion.
| Photo Credit: H. VIBHU
Residents of Chellanam, a panchayat that has borne the brunt of sea swells and periodic flooding of homes and roads and has been identified by the Kerala government as among the most vulnerable coastal areas in the State, is worried about a proposal of the Cochin Port Authority (CPA) to deepen the shipping channel to facilitate deep draft vessels to be serviced at the International Container Transshipment Terminal (ICTT) on Vallarpadam island.
The CPA plans to deepen the channel from the present 14.5 metres to 16 to 18 metres to attract larger vessels and to win over a chunk of the transshipment cargo. However, the unions of employees at the port have raised several objections to the proposal. The primary objection is that the spending on deepening the channel will not be made good by the potential business generated by the efforts.
If the channel depth is increased any further water flow in the channel close to Chellanam and Kochi will increase substantially, leading to land erosion and difficulties for people living along the coast, said V.T. Sebastian, convenor of the peopleโs group Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedi, and demanded comprehensive measures to ensure coastal protection between Chellanam and Fort Kochi.
He claimed that it was the efforts to widen and deepen the channel in 1928 that led to the initial phase of what is now a continuous process of sea erosion along the Kochi and Chellanam coast. The depth of the channel was increased for the ICTT from 12 metres to 14.5 metres. That led to more severe sea erosion.
When Cyclone Ockhi hit the shores of Chellanam towards the end of December 2017, the situation changed drastically as the traditional seawall built out of granite boulders collapsed along most of the segments, worsening coastal erosion, added Mr. Sebastian.
He alleged that though the port had been operational for more than 90 years, no money had been spent towards corporate social responsibility. It is time that breakwaters are established to stem the increased water flow and to allow sea accretion along the Chellanam coast. The peopleโs group has repeatedly demanded that the dredged material from the channel be deposited close to the coast so that there is a chance for sea accretion in the long run .
