Youth Congress activists protest against Minister demanding solution to sea incursion threat at Kannamaly

Youth Congress activists staged a protest against Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine here on Saturday (June 21, 2025) alleging delay on the part of the government in addressing the worsening sea incursion situation at Kannamaly, Cheriyakadavu and Kattiparambu areas.

The Minister was attending a programme in connection with the Amrut-2 scheme at the office of the Chief Engineer of the Kerala Water Authority in the city when a group of Youth Congress activists barged into the venue and raised slogans against the government for not taking steps to find a proper solution to the problems faced by the coastal communities at Kannamaly owing to the sea incursion.

Police removed the protesters, who blamed the Minister for not fulfilling the long-standing demand of residents to protect the vulnerable shore using a tetrapod-based seawall. While tetrapods have been erected around 7 kilometres, nearly as much remains to be covered.

The Minister later told the media that the government would take steps to initiate the second phase of the tetrapod-based seawall in the remaining 2.5 km stretch at Chellanam. “We have received the study report from the National Centre for Coastal Research, Chennai, for laying the tetrapod seawall in the remaining stretch,” he said.