Coastal erosion and flooding had ravaged Chellanam a coastal village when Cyclone Ockhi hit Kerala’s coast in December 2017. When the south-west monsoon gains strength, ferocious waves from the Arabian Sea breach the sea wall ravaging more than 700 houses and driving 1,400 residents to relief camps. More than 13,000 people reside in Chellanam village, with around 1,000 houses situated very close to the sea. Chellanam is now witness to a trail of destruction with hundreds of damaged houses, blocked toilets and other drainage systems and contaminated open wells.
Our students joined hands with E- Unnathi an NGO in filling sandbags and building a temporary sea wall along the sea coast at Chellanam on June 12th 2019.