Pozhiyoor, a coastal village in Thiruvananthapuram district, has been struggling with severe coastal erosion for more than a decade. The impact is visible everywhere—on homes, roads and the livelihoods of fisherfolk. Beaches where children once played football, where fish were landed and sold, and where visitors gathered in the evenings have either shrunk drastically or disappeared. Today, waves reach dangerously close to houses.
Every monsoon, houses close to the coast get either fully or partially destroyed due to sea erosions. The village, home to over 5,000 families, has been witnessing sea erosion for years, however, the intensity of the phenomenon has been becoming higher each year.
In June 2023, severe erosion damaged or destroyed ten houses in Pozhiyoor. Thirty-nine families had to move to relief camps or stay with relatives. That same year, around 37 houses were reported damaged, and more than 300 families were said to be living under constant threat. In later high-sea events in 2024, over 100 families faced damage or evacuation. Coastal roads have also collapsed several times, with nearly three kilometres affected in some stretches. This has left residents cut off from schools, hospitals and markets. In 2025, nearby areas like Paruthiyoor and Thekkekollamkode again saw destruction, with storm surges covering roads in sand and debris. For many families, rebuilding has become a painful routine every monsoon.
Fisherfolk have been protesting the state government's alleged inaction and demanding the construction of a pulimutt (groyne) to protect the shoreline and their livelihood as monsoon waves batter the shore each year. They have been demanding a long-term solution for the coastal erosion and water-logging issues in the area.
Many local fishermen and activists believe the problem has worsened because of large coastal structures built further south, especially near Thengapattanam and Kollamkode, Neerodi in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. Harbors, long breakwaters and tetrapods can block the natural movement of sand along the shore. When this natural flow is disturbed, sand builds up on one side while erosion increases on the other. Residents say Pozhiyoor is on the losing side of that process. Similar concerns have also been raised about coastal changes near Vizhinjam and Muthalapozhi.
In 2022, a study by the University of Kerala found that between 2007 and 2020, about 2.62 square kilometres, around 647 acres of land along the 58-kilometre stretch between Pozhiyoor and Anchuthengu was lost to the sea. In some places, including Pozhiyoor, the shoreline has been moving inland by more than 10 meters every year. On average, about five meters of land is lost annually across the district. Out of the 58 km studied, 42 km was facing serious erosion. The study linked this to stronger cyclones in the Arabian Sea, powerful swell waves, changes in wave patterns, and rising sea levels due to climate change.
The Kerala government has identified Pozhiyoor as one of the state’s major erosion hotspots and approved a 1.6-kilometre seawall project costing around Rs 51 crore. But residents say gaps between seawalls make nearby areas more vulnerable and the fisherfolk community claim that it would negatively impact their livelihood.
While many demand continuous seawalls, experts warn that building more concrete structures without proper planning could simply push the erosion further along the coast.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for better access to common land/resources
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Permanent protection for homes and livelihoods from sea erosion.
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common
Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Fishing, Water bodies
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
Type of investment:
Year of Estimation
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Environmental Law, Environmental Law, Other, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
Yes
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of fundamental rights
Lack of legal protection over land rights
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Traditional fishing community
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
