Beypore: Following long years of waiting, steps have at last been taken to build a seawall on the Gotheeshwaram coast. Administrative and technical sanctions have been granted for the work, estimated at ₹1 crore, which was approved during the Navakerala Sadass.

The new granite seawall will stretch 77 metres along the human settlements on the Gotheeshwaram Temple Road. Irrigation officials said the tender process were slated to begin this month itself. The project will be an extension of the existing seawall, which currently reaches up to the temple road.

For construction, granite stones will be brought to the site using machines, with large boulders to be placed on the beach. The wall will be built in a scientific manner with a width of 15 metres and a height of 3.5 metres.

It is expected that the structure will significantly reduce sea incursions. Currently, seawall construction is pending along a 435-metre stretch of the Gotheeshwaram beach, where the absence of protection often causes seawater to lash into the land even during mild waves. During the monsoon, gushing water has damaged the road here and triggered severe soil erosion in the area.

Frequent seawater intrusion into homes along the temple road has also led to widespread complaints from residents. Authorities, meanwhile, are now planning to extend the seawall up to the Gotheeshwaram cemetery in the next phase. With the new wall in place, locals hope that the recurring problem of sea incursions in Gotheeshwaram will be addressed to a great extent.