Why this Lanka in a Keralam panchayat is betting on people-powered solution to tidal flooding

KOCHI 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.