The 7.36-km-long seawall built along the Chellanam–Puthenthode corridor in West Kochi, along with the adjacent sprawling walkway, is emerging as a popular tourist attraction in Ernakulam district.
Built at a cost of approximately ₹344 crore and said to be the longest of its kind in Kerala, there is growing demand to install benches and lights atop the seawall-cum-walkway to attract more visitors to the stretch, which has 16 access points. “The seawall, constructed using granite boulders and tetrapods, along with the 2.5-metre-wide walkway featuring a barricade on the western side and the abundance of fresh air, has in recent times drawn thousands of people from Kochi city and even neighbouring districts,” said V. T. Sebastian, general convener of the Chellanam–Kochi Janakeeya Vedhi, which is at the forefront of the agitation demanding that the seawall be extended up to Fort Kochi to prevent sea incursion along the coast.
The walkway, built at a height of around three metres from the shoreline, was completed in 2024. Visitors include anglers as well as those who enjoy walking safely along the newly built stretch. Their main demand, he added, is for benches and lights to be installed by sponsors or tourism agencies so that people could rest and visit the area even late in the evening.
