Coastal Erosion in Kerala's Thiruvananthapuram Forces Families from Homes and Disrupts Lives

Coastal erosion along the shores of Thiruvananthapuram in Kerala has displaced numerous families, destroying homes and leaving residents facing severe physical and psychological distress.

The Crisis

Kulathoor grama panchayat, the southernmost grama panchayat in Thiruvananthapuram district, has faced severe coastal erosion for decades across coastal wards like Pozhipallivilakam, Mullassery, Kollamkode, Paruthiyoor, Pozhikara Beach and Pozhiyoor. Many of these wards now have only seven or eight rows of houses remaining out of about 100. On September 28, a sea surge caused another 40 houses in Pozhiyoor to collapse. A 2022 climate study found that approximately 2.62 square kilometres of land had been lost to coastal erosion along Thiruvananthapuram's coast over a 14-year period, with Pozhiyoor recording the highest erosion rate at 10.59 metres a year.

Impact on Residents

Residents like 43-year-old Baby Titus have had to leave their houses due to safety fears after seawater caused short circuits and electrical shocks inside homes. Titus now pays 2,000 rupees a month to rent a two-bedroom house next door. Her husband, 45-year-old artisanal fisherman Thadhayoos, worries constantly about his family's safety while he is out at sea. When seawater surges into homes, families take shelter in nearby government schools with packed bags of essential documents and clothes.

Psychological and Social Toll

A study by the Centre for Development Studies shows that repeated exposure to flooding and displacement causes persistent fear and uncertainty. Dr Shreyas Susan Varghese, a psychiatrist who led a medical camp in Pozhiyoor in 2025 at the request of Kollamkode Church, noted that most people showed symptoms of trauma and depression, worsened by limited mental-health awareness and social stigma. Anthropologist Claudia Lang points out that displaced residents lose not just houses, but proximity to neighbours, churches, and the beach where community life happened. Social worker Magline Philomina adds that unequal rehabilitation under the government's Punargeham scheme has created community resentment.

Context

Coastal erosion is an increasing global challenge driven by rising sea levels and weather pattern changes, which frequently impact low-lying shorelines and coastal livelihoods. Government rehabilitation schemes often aim to move vulnerable populations away from high-risk zones, but relocation projects can sometimes unintentionally distance communities from their traditional workplaces, local support networks, and cultural spaces.