Kerala Cabinet gives a revised ₹464 crore sanction for the second phase of Chellanam coastal protection
29 October 2026
The Kerala Cabinet has decided to give a revised administrative sanction of ₹464 crore for coastal protection works at Chellanam in Kochi. The main work in this second phase is rebuilding 6.1 km of seawall protected by tetrapods. It also covers repairing sunken seawalls, groyne works at Bazar, an RCC walkway, shifting utilities and electrification. The Chellanam coast is 20.90 km long and about a thousand houses stand close to the sea; many of its seawalls and groynes are about 60 years old. The first phase, 7.30 km long, built 6.64 km of seawall and six groynes covering 0.66 km. Chellanam is one of the State's worst hotspots for coastal erosion. The work is carried out by the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation under the Water Resources Department.
In plain words
Tetrapod — A four-legged concrete block piled along a seawall to break the force of waves.
Groyne — A wall built out into the sea at right angles to the shore to hold sand in place.
KIIDC Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation — A company under Kerala's Water Resources Department that executes large water works.
Administrative sanction — Government approval of a project and its cost before work can be tendered.