Erayumanthurai fishing hamlet, southernmost village in Kanyakumari district is the worst affected by sea erosion and is in the danger of disappearing from the map.
Located between the Arabian Sea, AVM Canal and the perennial Thamirabarani River, Erayumanthurai is very vulnerable for sea erosion. The sea has engulfed more than half its land eating away rows of houses, coconut trees and fishing equipment worth lakhs. During monsoon, the heavily flooded river enters the village, causing more damage. For the villagers, fishing is the only occupation and during such times, they are the worst affected.
However, the village continues to survive due to a weak and permeable wall, which is slowly collapsing as the sand from beneath continues to get washed away. A number of representations to the district headquarters and the Secretariat in Chennai has yielded no action.
Twenty years ago, the distance between the sea and the river was about 700 metres with eight rows of houses, besides a road, Erayumanthurai parish council member Dunston told Express. But now the distance was merely 50 metres with rows of houses, due to sea erosion.
He said in 1982, when an anti-sea erosion wall was constructed, the population was 7,000 and now it has dwindled to just 2,500.
Priest Ignatius Russel said: “Constructing a backwater on the west of the village is the only solution, but it has been objected by the neighbouring villagers, who fear that it would affect them in turn.”
Professor and oceanographer Vareethiah said construction of fishing harbours, power plants, industries, groynes or any other structure obstructing the course of the sea currents would have a reverse effect on the behaviour of the sea.
“For the past 25 to 30 years, Kanyakumari coast has been witnessing heavy erosion with Neerodi-Kurumbanai being severely battered. This can be attributed to the breakwaters and fishing harbour constructed at Vizhingam, Kerala,” he noted.
“People normally reckon that anti-erosion protection wall can solve the problem. But that only negates the dynamics of the sea currents. A seawall can protect the landscape only for a particular period of time after which the waves will start washing the sand from beneath. If the wall is not reinforced every year without fail, it will create more problems.”
Original from:: http://www.expressbuzz.com/edition/story.aspx?Title=Kumari+village+set+to+disappear&artid=pCfkq/Okc5o=&SectionID=vBlkz7JCFvA=&MainSectionID=fyV9T2jIa4A=&SectionName=EL7znOtxBM3qzgMyXZKtxw==&SEO=
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