Proposal for artificial beach in Chellanam under review

The State government is considering a proposal to build an artificial beach at Chellanam, Kochi. This plan involves using silt and debris from Vembanad Lake. Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine announced this idea during an assembly meeting on Wednesday. The silt comes from several major rivers such as Periyar and Meenachil, which feed into Vembanad Lake. After the heavy floods in 2018, the lake's ability to hold water decreased. This has caused flooding issues that affect local residents' health and safety. With too much silt, water flow during high tide and low tide is disrupted. To address these problems, the government aims to construct protective walls along the backwaters. This is important for preventing flooding in areas like Edakochi and Kumbalangi. Funding for these projects is part of Operation Vahini, launched in 2022. Additionally, the government is reviewing proposals from Vypeen constituency. They have prepared an estimate of ₹16.84 crore to deepen and build side walls to safeguard rivers there. Another project worth ₹6.13 crore has been proposed to remove silt and build a protective wall along the RMP stream in Elamkunnapuzha.