In the coastal villages of Kochuthope and Valiyathura of Thiruvananthapuram, the Mukkuvar fishing community has thrived for generations, their lives entwined with the sea they revere as Kadalamma, the nurturing mother. The sea, once playful waves reclaiming and restoring the sands has transformed into a menacing force coming into their shores, spurred by the construction of the Vizhinjam International Seaport.

Once a year, during the anayadi (monsoon) season, the sea takes away sand from the shore. Naturally, within three months, the sea brings back the sand, restoring the shore. But since 2017, the people started noticing the sea was coming in aggressively and taking their homes. They believe the shores started disappearing when the Vizhinjam port began building its breakwater, affecting beaches all the way from Vizhinjam to Anchuthengu.

Homes are destroyed as a whole, livelihoods lost, and cherished traditions like the karamadi fishing, drying fish practices have all faded into memory, as the shores vanish. Displaced families find themselves sent to cramped living spaces in Valiyathura’s godowns or distant high-rises, far from the solace of the sea. The loss of shore space also meant extra costs to dock their boats in other shores, for travel to other shores, moving fishing equipment and to employ tractors to push and pull boats ashore since there’s not enough space for manual work anymore.

The once cherished proximity to the sea now breeds fear, as the community fights with an uncertain future in the face of “development”. As their coast changes, they remember when the sea was a giver, not a threat. They hope things will go back to how they were, even though it seems unlikely.

Rachel Elizabeth is currently pursuing her Masters in Development from Azim Premji University, Bangalore. Her interest includes exploring and documenting the intersectionality between ecology and livelihoods.