Kollam: When his playmates happily share their experiences with the online learning sessions, Sharon, a third standard student, prays for the mercy of the sea and hopes that his house is not washed away.
The absence of a sea wall here has been leading to gradual sea erosion in this coastal belt. Though it has been many years since the works to construct a Pulimuttu (a sea wall to prevent erosion) began, it has not reached anywhere yet. Almost half the portion of the road here has already been washed away by the sea. Now the homes are under threat.
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Holding his 4-year-old brother Shimayon close to him, Sharon is weaving dreams of both of them studying well and growing up to be smart persons. Like their friends, they also need to attend online classes. Sharon and Shimayon are the children of Vinod, a manual labourer, and Ashwathy, who live in Kakkathoppu, Iravipuram in Kollam district of Kerala.
Their house is one of the hundreds of houses which are facing the threat of sea incursion in Kakkathoppu. If the sea level rises further, the houses of these children and many others would be devastated anytime.
Sharon’s grandfather Raju is never scared of the sea. However, he says he is anxious about his grandchildren. With the monsoons setting in, the sea will be rough. Little Sharon still hopes that he would be able to attend his online lessons sitting at his house, which is not washed away by the sea.
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