Ponnani: Work to construct groynes near the Ponnani harbour in Malappuram district on a trial basis under a ₹16-crore project to prevent encroachment of land by the sea has begun. The tetrapods required for the construction have also been brought to the worksite. 

However, a vigilance inquiry is underway into a complaint that tetrapods and granite rock used for the work are being weighed with a controversial software named, ‘Trips.’  The complaint alleged that the weight of these materials and the count of the trucks bringing granite rock to the worksite could be manipulated with this software.

Subsequently, the vigilance submitted a report to the state government recommending departmental action against four officials, including the chief engineer, who took the initiative to install the contentious software.

Meanwhile, fisherfolk in the area demanded stringent supervision of the work, which involves an expenditure amounting to crores, to ensure transparency.  

The trial to build groynes at Ponnani started following persistent demands to construct a seawall in the coastal areas of Malappuram district threatened by sea erosion.

Meanwhile, though measures were initiated to dredge the Ponnani harbour to deepen the area after an amount of ₹6 crore had been sanctioned, the work has reached nowhere.