Residents seek urgent measures to protect Iruvanjippuzha, Cherupuzha riverbanks
Residents in Kozhikode are demanding urgent riverbank protection for the Iruvanjippuzha and Cherupuzha rivers to prevent erosion. The erosion threatens homes, farmland, and public infrastructure, with locals claiming authorities have failed to act for over a decade.
Why it matters
This highlights the intersection of climate-related environmental degradation and the failure of local infrastructure maintenance.
Riverbank erosion along the Iruvanjippuzha and Cherupuzha rivers has emerged as a major concern in Kozhikode district, with several houses, agricultural lands and public infrastructure in Karassery and Kodiyathur grama panchayats facing an increasing threat during the monsoon.
Residents said large stretches of farmland were being washed away every year as the rivers swell during the rainy season, causing heavy financial losses to farmers. They alleged that repeated promises by the authorities to strengthen vulnerable stretches of the riverbanks had not translated into lasting protection measures.
Several houses located close to the riverbanks have also been left in a precarious condition, with the rivers steadily eating away private land over the years. Many families said they now live in constant fear of further erosion whenever heavy rain occurs.
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