Thiruvananthapuram: An emergency review meeting of various departments has been called to resolve the situation where the coast of Shankumugham, a tourist destination in Thiruvananthapuram, is being completely encroached upon by the sea.

The meeting was called under the leadership of Antony Raju MLA to coordinate reconstruction activities to protect the coast.

An emergency meeting has been called for officials from the departments of the Public Works Department, Irrigation Department, Port Engineering, Coastal Development Corporation, and District Tourism Promotion Council. The meeting will consider two options for protecting the coast. 

Extending the diaphragm wall built to protect the road at Shankumugham and protecting the coast by installing geo-tubes in the sea are the two possibilities that experts have put forward.

However, the construction of the diaphragm wall (concrete sea wall) will hinder fishing, say the workers. Fishing will not be possible. They say that boats and fishing equipment will not be able to be loaded on the shore. The Shankumugham - Airport road was washed away by the sea after Cyclone Ockhi. The road was renovated after the construction of the concrete sea wall at a cost of Rs 4.39 crore.

Another project is to protect the Shankumugham coast by installing geo-tubes like the Poonthura model. Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) has allocated Rs 190 crore for installing geo-tubes from Poonthura to Shankumugham. Sea erosion in Poonthura has decreased where geo-tubes were installed for experimental purposes.

Meanwhile, some experts are pointing out that the diaphragm wall built to protect the airport road is causing sea erosion in other parts. They say that with the arrival of the sea wall, the waves are hitting the other side with more force.

The sea washed away about 400 meters of shore, half of the road in front of the old Coffee House, the steps, and the concrete benches. The old stone mandapam where the Aarattu of Sree Padmanabhaswamy Temple performed is also under threat of erosion. If the erosion worsens in the coming days, the buildings on the coast will also be at risk.