Why this Lanka in a Keralam panchayat is betting on people-powered solution to tidal flooding
The Hindu · M.P. Praveen ·
Community-led Resilient Lanka trial in Ezhikkara uses local knowledge and tech to mitigate tidal flooding, empowering residents and informing scalable climate adaptation.
Lanka, a small idyllic island tucked away in Ezhikkara panchayat in North Paravur, is set to get what is probably the first community-led high-tide flood mitigation project aimed at addressing a problem that has been collectively taking a toll on the property and livelihoods of the coastal population in Ernakulam district of Keralam.
The community co-designed project, named Resilient Lanka, will be jointly implemented by Equinoct, a Kochi-based, community-sourced environmental and climate-modelling technology solutions provider, and Happiness Project, a newly formed foundation, under the overall supervision of the Ezhikkara panchayat. The project is an extension of the collaboration between Equinoct and the Ezhikkara panchayat over the last five years to document, monitor and assess the impact of tidal flooding with the active participation of local communities. Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan will inaugurate the project on November 15.
“The project may prove critical for the small local community in Lanka, which has been badly affected by tidal flooding. The panchayat is committed to ensuring transparent implementation of the project. If found successful, the project will be extended to more tidal flooding-prone areas of the panchayat,” said Seena Sajeev, president of the Ezhikkara panchayat.
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