Kerala local body polls: Sea incursion and tidal flooding shape electoral battle in Chellanam

Candidates visiting households in Chellanam panchayat along the coastal belt of Ernakulam district are greeted by posters posing three questions, answers to which alone elicit a promise of support if not guaranteed votes.

The questions are: What project do you propose to save the fast-depleting Chellanam-Kochi coast, triggered by sea incursion attributed to global warming and sea level rise? What explains the delay in constructing the tetrapod-based seawall and groynes north of Puthenthode? What measures will you take to ensure that the Chellanam-Kochi coast is spared from sea incursion during the next monsoon?

While candidates distributing leaflets during elections to solicit support is common, in Chellanam it is the other way around as leaflets are being handed to all candidates – printed with these questions – under the aegis of the Chellanam Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi, an organisation at the forefront of the long-running protest demanding a permanent solution to sea incursion. On December 9, the day of polling in Ernakulam district, the protest will be 2,035 days old, dating back beyond the last local body polls in 2020. Apart from the panchayat, sea incursion remains an electoral issue in three divisions of the Kochi Corporation as well.

Seawall second phase

“The second-phase construction of the tetrapod-based seawall in the stretch between Puthenthode and Cheriyakkadavu, at an investment of ₹306 crore, is yet to begin even after almost five months since the government announced it. Unlike other coastal areas affected by sea incursion, where people protest only when the situation worsens and then get on with their daily chores, Chellanam alone has witnessed such a continuous protest. We have other basic needs like roads, hospitals, and drinking water, but all that becomes relevant only if we manage to survive the sea,” said V.T. Sebastian of the Chellanam Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi.

The first phase of the project was completed in 2023, when a tetrapod seawall was constructed along 7.3 kilometres of the coastal stretch at an investment of ₹347 crore. A sea-facing walkway was also built to attract tourists. In addition, ₹90 crore was spent on a groyne network along the Bazar and Kannamaly areas.

More frequent incursions

The worsening tidal flooding, once a seasonal affair, has now become almost a daily occurrence. From the immediate coast, it now impacts far wider areas, including Panampilly Nagar, Kadavanthra, and Chilavannoor in the heart of the city. Yet, residents feel the issue receives little attention in the Corporation’s election campaign.

“We organised meet-the-candidate programmes involving all candidates from three affected divisions in the Corporation. Many proposals were discussed, while some candidates candidly admitted that it was a far greater issue beyond their mandate, since it is a global phenomenon involving sea level rise. Earlier, tidal flooding occurred only seasonally and lasted briefly. Now, it occurs far more frequently and lasts longer,” said Ashok Kumar, president of the Kadavanthra region of the Ernakulam District Residents Associations’ Apex Council. Many residents in affected areas have been forced to modify their houses by raising their foundations far above ground level to avoid flooding.

C.G. Madhusoodhanan, Chief Executive Officer of Equinoct, a Kochi-based community-sourced modelling solution provider, said political parties cannot afford to overlook tidal flooding in the run-up to the election. “As per the tidal flood calendar, severe flooding is forecast from December 5 to 8, right up to the eve of polling. Candidates will have to wade through water in their constituencies in the coastal areas. Parties that have done effective work can showcase it, while those that haven’t will have to defend their inaction. Thanks to the election season, the government also seems interested in making policy-level interventions to address the issue,” he said.

At least ten coastal panchayats in Ernakulam district have passed resolutions demanding that tidal flooding be notified as a disaster, entailing compensation. Though around 2,000 applications were submitted seeking compensation for damages caused by tidal flooding, they were denied on the grounds that tidal flooding is a natural phenomenon, which does not qualify as a disaster.