Sea water breaching the damaged tsunami protection sea wall at Kallar village in Nagapattinam.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The Indian National Fishermen Union has urged Chief Minister C. Joseph Vijay to take steps to reconstruct and strengthen the damaged tsunami protection sea wall along the coast of Keechankuppam, Akkaraipettai and Kallar villages in Nagapattinam district.In a petition submitted to the State government, union leader R.M.P. Rajendra Nattar said the coastal villages in Nagapattinam were among the worst affected during the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. He recalled that several political leaders and officials had visited the region in the aftermath of the disaster and assured rehabilitation measures for the affected fishing communities.Mr. Rajendra Nattar said tsunami protection sea walls were subsequently constructed along the coast of Keechankuppam, Akkaraipettai and Kallar villages using rehabilitation funds to safeguard the settlements from coastal erosion and sea incursions.However, he alleged that the sea wall suffered extensive damage during Cyclone Gaja in 2018 and had not been restored despite repeated representations to the government. He said Ministers, Revenue Department officials and Fisheries Department authorities had inspected the damaged stretches and assured immediate reconstruction works, but no substantial measures had been undertaken so far.Official sources in the Assistant Director of Fisheries and Fishermen Welfare Department, Nagapattinam, said a project estimate worth ₹20 crore had been prepared and forwarded to the government for consideration through an official communication dated August 6, 2025. Published - May 19, 2026 07:09 pm IST
