Thiruvananthapuram: The construction of a sea wall at Pozhiyoor in Thiruvananthapuram has been inaugurated as part of a ₹93.22-crore coastal protection project aimed at tackling the region’s long-standing sea erosion problem.

The project covers a 1,700-metre stretch along the Pozhiyoor-Kollamcode coast in Neyyattinkara constituency.

The coastal belt has been repeatedly battered by severe sea attacks, affecting homes, roads and other public infrastructure. More than 3,000 fishing families and other residents in Pozhiyoor and neighbouring areas have been facing the threat of coastal erosion.

The project is being funded through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) and implemented under the supervision of the Kerala Irrigation Infrastructure Development Corporation.

Pozhiyoor has been identified as one of Kerala’s vulnerable coastal stretches, with residents raising concerns over erosion for years. Earlier proposals for coastal protection had also triggered differences over the type of structures to be used, with sections of the fishing community seeking groynes, while officials had cited technical studies supporting a sea wall.

The project is set to be completed within the stipulated timeframe, and comprehensive measures will be taken to protect the lives and property of people living along the coast.