Priests stage hunger strike demanding tetrapod sea wall to protect Kannamaly-Fort Kochi coastline

Priests under the Alappuzha and Kochi dioceses staged a hunger strike near the BOT Bridge at Thoppumpady on Friday demanding that the government allocate funds to construct a tetrapod sea wall to protect the Puthenthodu (in Kannamaly)-Fort Kochi coastline where sea incursion has become common.

This comes in the wake of damage to houses due to rampant sea incursion in the region and also the perilous life that residents there lead. The agitation that began at 10 a.m. concluded by 5 p.m. The priests demanded urgent allocation of funds and steps to construct a sea wall in the corridor on a war footing, taking into account the grave threat to the life of residents.

Hundreds of coastal residents and others participated in two rallies, one from Palluruthy and another from Thoppumpady, which was taken out on Friday evening to the venue of the hunger strike. The rallies were flagged off by secretary general of Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) Fr. Thomas Tharayil and State president of Kerala Latin Catholic Association (KLCA) Sherry J. Thomas. Director of Kripasanam Fr. V.P. Joseph Valiyaveetil inaugurated a rally that was taken out by the agitating priests from Thoppumpady to the venue of the fast in the morning.

The hunger strike and other agitations are being mainly led by the Kannamaly-based Care Chellanam-Kochi, an NGO. The rampant sea incursion and the subsequent inundation of houses and other buildings began following the destruction of a sea wall that had been built there, following the Okhi Cyclone in 2017. A slew of agitations followed, and the government allotted ₹340 crore to build a 12-km-long sea wall northward from the Chellanam fishing harbour. But the sea wall was built only on a 7.35-km stretch, leaving the rest of the stretch all the way up to Fort Kochi vulnerable to sea incursion. The net result was that people were even unable to sleep in peace, the NGO said in a release.

With the government not taking steps to build rest of the sea wall as had been promised, the Alappuzha and Kochi dioceses decided to mobilise the affected coastal residents and intensify their agitation, beginning with the hunger strike. Friday’s fast was inaugurated by Joseph Jude, vice president of Kerala Region Latin Catholic Council (KRLCC). Socio-political leaders and people from different walks of life addressed the agitating priests.

The valedictory of the agitation was inaugurated by Bishop of Kottapuram Ambrose Puthenveetil.