Three houses were destroyed and 12 others were damaged along the seashore in ward 21 of Chellanam grama panchayat in Ernakulam district after being hit by cyclone-like wind in the early hours of Thursday (March 12, 2026).
Roofs of several houses were flown away by the strong wind that struck the coast south of the Chellanam panchayat office around 1.15 a.m. The sudden occurrence left the families that were asleep in shock.
“Many of these houses had earlier been affected by sea erosion and were repaired by the families to make them liveable. Now they have to find resources to repair the houses all over again,” said V.T. Sebastian, general convener of the Chellanam-Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi.
Frightening roar
Residents said the frightening roar of the wind drew even those sleeping at shrimp farms within a 1.5-km radius to the spot. Aluminium roofs flown away by the wind were found scattered across the tetrapod walkway nearby.
Medona Caroline, member of ward 21, said the panchayat would convene an emergency meeting to assess the situation and discuss relief measures. “Families whose houses were destroyed have moved in with their relatives, while others are staying in the undamaged portions of their houses. The panchayat distributed food to the affected families,” she said.
Mr. Sebastian added that the recurrence of such unnatural phenomena had become a matter of concern. Fishermen engaged in deep-sea fishing have also reported cyclone-like conditions, with water being pushed upwards in swirls.
Sea erosion
Residents of Chellanam have long been demanding a permanent solution to sea erosion along the coastal stretch. After much delay, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan launched the second phase of tetrapod-based seawall construction on March 7, 2026 covering the remaining 6.1 km at an investment of ₹404 crore. The first phase of the project, covering a 7.3-km stretch from Chellanam to Puthenthode, was completed at a cost of ₹347 crore.
Chellanam remains the worst affected among the 10 identified hotspots of sea erosion in Kerala.
Published – March 12, 2026 04:21 pm IST
