Nearly 5,000 families in Chellanam brace for vagaries of rough sea this monsoon

Nearly 5,000 families in Chellanam panchayat remain exposed to the vagaries of what threatens to be a rough sea this monsoon, as the second-phase construction of the tetrapod-based seawall, launched with much fanfare ahead of the Assembly elections, has made little progress.

Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan inaugurated the second phase, spanning 6.10 km from Puthenthode to Manassery, at an estimated cost of ₹404 crore to be funded under the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board, on March 7, 2026. Though no timeline was announced for its completion, encouraged by the project, many affected families who had moved out on rent have since returned after repairing houses damaged by sea incursions using resources raised with considerable difficulty. The first phase of the project, covering a 7.3-km stretch from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed at a cost of ₹347 crore.