Residents resist the Punargeham rehabilitation scheme

The government is currently proceeding with the Punargeham scheme aiming at the rehabilitation of fishermen families living within 50m from the hightide line, the residents of Ernakulam district are cooperating. Sea erosion is severe across many places in the Ernakulam district. The project was launched in 2019, and since then only 240 families out of the overall 1,600 families from Chellanam and Munambam were identified have shown interest in the scheme. The project is facing resistance from the Chellanam residents who have started pasting posters against the same in front of their houses. Punargeham officials have said they often face threats from these residents alleging that the officials are forcing them to go for the scheme. Residents have said that they don’t need to move out of their houses if the multi-crore tetrapod seawall project of the government aims to check sea erosion is fully implemented. The scheme offers Rs 10 lakh to every family willing to relocate from the sea coast to a safer place. Rs 6 lakh are given for the purchase of land and the rest Rs 4 lakh for the construction of a house. Their respective lands along the coast would continue in their name, even though they wouldn't live there nor carry out any construction. As of now, only 151 families are ready to shift to safer places leaving behind their houses and land on the coast. And only 63 families have been awarded their new land registered in their names. Image Source