Vypeen: With the monsoon just weeks away, the coastline of Vypeen remains on edge as the long-promised sea wall project stays incomplete, leaving residents bracing for another season of vulnerability to rough seas.

Although projects such as tetrapod sea walls have been initiated and court interventions have pushed for coastal protection measures, officials acknowledge that these works are unlikely to be completed in the near term. In several locations, existing seawalls are in a severely damaged condition, which require urgent reconstruction.

For now, the only relief in many stretches comes from temporary protection built using geo bags.However, residents point out that these measures may last only a few hours if sea conditions worsen. Preliminary works have also begun on installing geotubes intended to reduce wave impact.

A long-standing demand to prioritise seawall construction in densely populated coastal areas still remains unaddressed. In regions such as Edavanakkad, Pazhangad and Koottungalchira, the seawalls are already in a weakened state while in several stretches, wide sandbanks have also formed along the shore.

 In areas without proper seawalls or where the structures are too low, there is growing concern that storm surges could rapidly push seawater inland through these sandy passages. Wave action has already dislodged stones from the base of seawalls in several places, creating large gaps that further allow seawater to seep inland.

Sand deposited on coastal roads in previous years also remains uncleared. In the event of seawater intrusion during the rains, travel along the coastal belt could become extremely difficult this monsoon season.