'Kallakkadal' phenomenon strikes Kerala; coastal areas ravaged by tidal waves

Swell waves, colloquially known as ‘Kallakkadal’, inundated beaches of central and southern Kerala on Sunday (March 31), wreaking havoc in places like Mundakkal, Mayyanad, Eravipuram, Paravur, and Thekkumbhagam.

Residents were affected as homes were damaged and public safety was compromised.

With the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) predicting the sea to be rough for the next two days, authorities urged public to avoid beach areas in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Thrissur districts.

In Mundakkal, around 10 houses suffered damage, affecting approximately 500 families.

The onslaught of high tides intensified throughout the morning, inundating residential areas and public roads in several regions of Kerala.

'Dire circumstances'

Councillor of Mundakkal, Kuruvila Joseph, stressed the 'dire circumstances' faced by the community. He requested government intervention and asked for speedy implementation of safety measures.

Fortunately, there haven't been any significant casualties or extensive damages reported.

Leena Laurance, the ward councillor of Mukkam West, said that high tidal waves started around 11 am and culminated in surges breaching homes by 4:30 pm. However, she assured that the situation is now manageable despite the difficulties.

Similarly, Mayyanad and Paravur witnessed breaches in tidal waters, causing further damage to residences.

While no casualties have been reported so far, the situation remained challenging, especially in areas like Thiruvananthapuram, where waves continued to pound coastal regions disrupting tourism.

The Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS), a central government agency that issues weather warnings for fishermen in the country, has found that as a result of the low-pressure system moving into the Indian Ocean, very high waves -- which reached 11 meters at some places -- were created and reached the Kerala coast, KSDMA said in a statement on Tuesday.

What is Kallakkadal?

The unexpected phenomenon, termed kallakkadal, is attributed to strong winds in the southern Indian Ocean that cause sudden sea intrusions along the coast.

The term 'kallakkadal' literally means the sea approaching like a thief.

INCOIS has also said that the swell surge was the result of strong winds in the southern part of the Indian Ocean at certain times and which occur suddenly without any particular indications or warning, hence the name kallakkadal.

The resultant waves cause sea intrusion in coastal areas, it added.

(With inputs from agencies)