Kerala’s coastal hamlets witness sea incursion

Thiruvananthapuram, May 5 (PTI) Amidst warning of ‘Kallakkadal’ phenomenon in coastal areas of the state, several places in Kerala have been witnessing high tidal waves and intense sea incursion since Saturday night. “Kallakkadal’ is a phenomenon of sudden sea swells causing rough waves in coastal areas.

A number of houses were damaged and roads were flooded as massive waves hit the shores in many coastal hamlets. Sea water gushed into houses forcing residents to shift to safer places in Anchuthengu and Poonthura areas of Thiruvananthapuram.

In several places, local people had to pay extra vigil to protect their fishing equipment, kept on the shores, from the high tidal waves.

Besides Anchuthengu, Poonthura and Muthalapozhi hamlets in Thiruvananthapuram, sea incursion was reported in Mundakkal and Alappadu areas in Kollam district, Purakkad in Alappuzha and Kodungallur and Perinjanam in Thrissur district and so on, local people said.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) on Saturday withdrew a ‘red alert’ issued for ‘Kallakkadal’ in coastal areas of Kerala and the south Tamil Nadu coast and revised it to an ‘orange alert’.

The agency warned that low-lying areas of the Kerala coast were likely to experience rough seas and sea surge due to extremely strong waves of 0.5 metres to 1.5 metres till 11.30 pm on Sunday as part of the phenomenon. INCOIS, the Central agency that issues weather warnings for fishermen in the country, advised people to safely moor their fishing vessels in the harbour.

Authorities advised people to continue their caution and avoid trips to the beach and completely stay away from activities at sea. The term ‘Kallakkadal’ literally means a sea that comes suddenly like a thief. INCOIS has earlier said that the swells result from strong winds in the southern part of the Indian Ocean at certain times, and that they occur suddenly without any particular indications or warning which is why it is named ‘Kallakkadal’.