The village of Uppada, home to a close-knit community of handloom weavers and fisherfolk, faces an uncertain future as the sea continues to eat into its shoreline. At the current rate of erosion, this once-thriving panchayat in Kakinada district of Andhra Pradesh may soon disappear beneath the waves.
Over 250 houses have already been swallowed by the sea since 2020, along with places of worship that once defined the village’s cultural harmony.
Just two weeks ago, Cyclone Montha battered the coast, damaging at least a dozen houses within two days in Uppada. The six habitations of Jaggampeta, Sooradapeta, Mayapatnam, Kothapeta, Pallipeta, and Subbampeta have borne the brunt of erosion for nearly two decades.
Studies by the Andhra Pradesh Space Application Centre (APSAC) reveal that Uppada has been losing an average of 1.23 metres of coastline per year, with 1,360 acres eroded in the past five years alone. An average of 35.7 metres of shore has eroded from 1989 to 2018.
Experts attribute the problem to wave deflection caused by the formation of Hope Island near Kakinada Port, which concentrates wave energy along the Uppada coast.
Efforts to contain the damage, including a 1,463-metre geotextile tube installed in 2010, have failed to withstand the sea’s fury.
A new Rs. 323-crore seawall proposed by the National Centre for Coastal Research offers short-term protection, but the long-term future remains uncertain.
As the sea continues to reclaim land, Uppada’s fisherfolk live perilously close to the waters that both sustain and threaten their existence.
(Text: K.R. Deepak, T. Appala Naidu)
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Tipping point: A woman, with her daughter, watches helplessly as towering waves, driven
by Cyclone Montha, batter their already damaged home at Sooradapeta village.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Unsteady perch: In Uppada, a dilapidated house — half of it washed away by the waves — struggles to stay upright in the strong winds.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Eerie frame: Through a jagged hole in a glass window, shattered by the cyclone, one can
catch a glimpse of the ruined houses of Jaggaraju Colony.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Raging tide: As tidal waves, charged by Cyclone Montha, tear through homes and livelihoods, people scramble for safety in Uppada in Andhra Pradesh.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
In ruins: An eroded house of a handloom weaver in Uppada, with dirt-streaked walls and broken furniture,
stands in the aftermath of the cyclone.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Picking up pieces: A family hurriedly salvages belongings from their home in Uppada after Cyclone Montha.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Grim scene: A few men gather in Sooradapeta, at a spot where the winds and waves have ravaged their homes.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Losing ground: Rocks, roots, and innumerable household items lie strewn among the debris, beneath houses hollowed out in Jaggaraju Colony in Kakinada.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Scars of a storm: As skies cleared following the cyclone’s destruction spree, villagers watch the massive wreckage left behind. Families are worried about what damage each monsoon will bring.
Photo:
K.R. Deepak
Defenceless guard: Installed in 2010 to prevent coastal erosion, Uppada’s 1,463-metre geotextile tube struggles against the powerful waves during the storm.
Published – November 09, 2025 11:50 am IST
