Violent tidal waves have been battering the coastlines of Kanyakumari district lately, killing four people and destroying more than 50 fishing boats, menacing coastal communities in the southern tip of India.

Along the 64 km coastline of Kanyakumari or known as Cape of Comorin -- gushing sea waves continued to pound about 24 villages decked along the coast.

In the aftermath of the Indian Ocean-triggered Tsunami in December 2004, villagers, mostly fishermen, had been living in fear of the rising waves that had been creeping into the beach, destroying houses, properties, unearthing coconuts trees and gobbling nearby land in the process.

"We live in fear every day because the waves continue to push itself inland and we don't know why this is happening.

"Fishermen in my village have not gone fishing for months because of the rough seas and our livelihood have been affected these days," A. Jerome, a traditional fisherman told Bernama during a visit to the damaged site along the Kanyakumari coastal areas.

N.Gregory, the village chief of Rajakkmangalamthurai, a fishing village in the district, said sea the surge was tormenting villagers and during the monsoon, the waves were much more dangerous.

"We don't know how to explain this (regular rising tidal waves).

"There are 360 houses here and sixty-nine houses have been completely destroyed recently. No family is staying in their house, we are all staying in schools and community halls," he said.

The rising sea waves had become a regular phenomenon since the tragic Tsunami episode that killed almost 800 people in this part of the country, on the disastrous Boxing Day.

During the peak Indian southwest monsoon, which falls between June and July, the tides lap deeper inland causing more danger to the unprotected villagers.

Thiruvanthapuram-based former head of Institute for Coastal Area Studies, Dr S. Lazarus said the rising tidal waves had become more frequent since the Tsunami tragedy and had devastated the coastal regions.

"I suspect after the Tsunami there are some changes at the sea bottom. During June and July when the monsoon is here, the tidal waves are amplified and the coastal areas along the Kanyakumari are badly affected," he added.

Panic-stricken villagers are baffled about the unusual rising tidal waves while marine scientists have yet to establish the reason for this rare phenomenon in this coastal area.

Lazarus said: "We need to conduct more studies on this tidal wave pattern. It is worse this year compared to last year."

With monsoon lashing its fury for the next few months, some 18,000 coastal fishermen along the Kanyakumari stretch are likely to face more hardship due to the tidal waves.