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Updated June 17th, 2021 at 20:48 IST

Has a 22 sq km 'Island' surfaced off Kerala's coast? Google Earth's image claims so

In a mysterious incident, an island of sorts has emerged off the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea and has been spotted on Google Earth triggering speculations

Reported by: Koushik Narayanan
Google Maps
Google Earth, Pixabay Image | Image:self
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In a peculiar and mysterious incident, an 'island' has seemingly emerged off the coast of Kerala in the Arabian Sea and has been spotted on Google Earth triggering a debate on the origin of the landmass. The landmass was reportedly first spotted on Google Earth's satellite view by the Chellanam Karshika Tourism Development Society as they highlighted the matter to Kerala University of Fisheries and Ocean Studies. 

Mystery island spotted on Google Earth off Kochi port

Sharing the satellite image of the landmass from Google Earth on Facebook, Chellanam Karshika's Xavier Julappan Kalipparambil noted that sand dunes were spotted seven kilometres from the Kochi port and measured 8 km in length and 3.5 km in breadth (rough area estimate = 22 sq km). Xavier claimed that the landmass was five times the size of the Kumbalangi shore and noted that the reason for the appearance of the landmass, the role it plays in coastal erosion, the possibility of artificial coastal nourishment using the sand from this landmass at Chellanam (a village in Kochi) needed to be studied. Further, he claimed that the study of the mysterious island would aid Kerala in developing methods to tackle the coastal erosion menace which impacted the state in the aftermath of Cyclone Tauktae. 

Kerala wants coastal erosion declared natural disaster

After facing the wrath of Cyclone Tauktae, the Kerala govt wrote to the Centre urging coastal erosion to be declared a natural disaster & sought the disaster relief amount provided to be doubled in view of the damages suffered. Writing to PM Modi, Kerala CM Vijayan had noted that the state govt had already declared coastal erosion as a state-level disaster and pointed out that the Centre had the permission to provide assistance to the people in the event of state-level disasters from the annual allocation to SDRF (state disaster response fund) and NDRF for up to 10%. Noting that the SDRF-NDRF assistance cannot be given for losses due to coastal erosion, the Kerala CM had demanded that coastal erosion be declared a natural disaster. Further, the Kerala CM had said that the state government was currently providing assistance in the case of natural calamities as per the recommendations of the 14th Finance Commission.

(Image credit: Google Earth, Pixabay)

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Published June 17th, 2021 at 20:48 IST

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