India

Lanka Island to Launch Community‑Led Flood Mitigation Project

By M.P. Praveen

Lanka, a small island in the Ezhikkara panchayat of North Paravur, will begin a community‑led high‑tidal flood mitigation project called Resilient Lanka. The project will be carried out jointly by Equinoct, a Kochi‑based environmental and climate‑modelling technology firm, and the Happiness Project foundation, under the overall supervision of the Ezhikkara panchayat. It builds on a five‑year partnership between Equinoct and the panchayat that has documented, monitored and assessed tidal flooding with active local participation.

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," said Seena Sajeev, president of the Ezhikkara panchayat. "If successful, it will be extended to more tidal‑flooding‑prone areas of the panchayat."

The initiative aims to translate evidence and community engagement into locally appropriate mitigation measures, placing residents at the centre of planning and implementation. Residents’ experiences, local knowledge and priorities will guide the identification, design and execution of measures suited to the settlement’s conditions.

Equinoct CEO C.G. Madhusoodhanan said the first phase will produce a Detailed Project Report (DPR) by year‑end and that the State Planning Board has been requested to recognise the pilot as a demonstration model for locally led climate adaptation.

Resilient Lanka will focus on preventing flooding, facilitating the smooth receding of water during floods, and protecting houses and properties. Short‑term solutions are already being developed ahead of the tidal flooding expected for three days from November 9, with lessons from these measures to inform the long‑term DPR.

L.G. Gireesh, a 48‑year‑old fisherman from Lanka, said the project could finally relieve the community from the toll of tidal flooding. "Earlier, tidal flooding followed a seasonal pattern, but now it has become almost daily, sometimes more than once a day, and the water takes longer to recede," he said.

Published – November 06, 2026 10:20 am IST