THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: A draft report submitted by the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) to the Kerala state Harbour Engineering Department (HED) reveals findings from a study conducted at Muthalapozhi harbour to address existing issues of recurring accidents.
In August, an expert committee from CWPRS, Pune, was visited to identify solutions for mitigating the impact of unscientific construction at Muthalapozhi harbour. The report primarily suggests restructuring the tetrapod blocks. The committee explored four alternative ways to modify the embankment/tetrapod seawalls.
Based on their analysis, a new alignment has been proposed, diverging from the current embankment’s orientation towards the sea. The suggested realignment involves constructing a new embankment from the south side of Muthalapozhi, expanding it to open in the north-west direction.
This proposed embankment’s dimensions include a length of 575 meters on the south side and 170 meters from the south to the north, with a 147-meter-wide entrance in the north-west direction. The committee actively engaged with local fishermen to discuss their concerns.
Upon incorporating the suggestions from both fishermen and the Kerala state Harbour Engineering Department (HED), CWPRS will finalize the report for submission to the Ministry of Fisheries.
Several key stakeholders participated in these discussions, including HED Chief Engineer Jomon K George, Executive Engineer Anil Kumar, Asst Executive Engineer Arun Kumar, Chirayinkeezhu MLA V Sasi, and representatives from fishermen’s associations: Isaac Vallarian, Binu Peter, Najeeb Topil, and Lawrence.
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