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New Indian Express
6 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Coastal erosion worsens in Kerala; projects worth Rs 5,000 crore yet to take off
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Frequent sea surges and alarming levels of erosion continue to batter Kerala's 590-km shoreline, displacing thousands of coastal residents year after year. Studies show that over 55% of the state's coastline is vulnerable to erosion. Given the lack of funds for large-scale intervention to protect the shoreline, the state government has collaborated with international agencies like the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the World Bank for external financial assistance. However, even after three years, the state government is unable to launch any of the projects, estimated to be worth Rs 5,000 crore, sparking concern among the coastal communities. According to officials, the preparatory work to claim this external funding has been on for the past three years and the funding is expected to materialise soon. An official with the irrigation department told TNIE that the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) had submitted a preliminary report for the Coastal Protection Project under the World Bank-funded Resilient Kerala Programme three months ago, and the project has been launched. The official said the state is gearing up for a more comprehensive environmental and social impact assessment, to be carried out by an external international consultant, which is a mandatory requirement for the World Bank project. It is learnt that NCCR has recommended a slew of interventions ideal for each of the 30 critical locations including beach nourishment at Shankumukham, seawalls, and offshore breakwaters. 'Unlike the projects executed by the state, such externally funded projects have to go through a lot of complicated procedures and demand more studies. We are in talks with the authorities in the Netherlands who have done a lot of work in coastal conservation. If it doesn't work, we will invite an expression of interest to rope in a consultant,' the official said. The project aims at implementing climate-resilient coastal infrastructure, restoring natural buffers, and strengthening community-based disaster preparedness. The state is expecting Rs 4,000 crores as external funding from the ADB for coastal conservation in nine districts. According to officials, the project has been placed for Union cabinet approval. 'Once the government gives the green signal, an official agreement will be signed with ADB,' said the official. A study carried out by the Kerala University a couple of years ago revealed that 647 acres of coastal land along a 58km stretch in Thiruvananthapuram has been lost to the sea in the past 14 years.
Hans India
09-06-2025
- Science
- Hans India
‘World Oceans Day' brings spotlight on marine conservation
Visakhapatnam: Marking the 'World Oceans Day' and focusing on marine conservation, a beach clean-up activity was undertaken by Andhra University. Involving staff, research scholars and students, the programme was held on Sunday at RK Beach. Volunteering to build an ocean-friendly community, scientists and technical staff from NCCR, CMFRI, CIFT, NIO and NSTL also participated in the event. Centred on the theme 'wonder: sustaining what sustains us', the volunteers highlighted the importance of keeping the coastline clean and plastic-free. The awareness programme was flagged off by Vice Chancellor of Andhra University GP Raja Sekhar in the presence of MVR Raju, Principal of Science College, among others. Speaking on the occasion, the VC emphasised the importance of marine ecology and the need to safeguard the seas for future generations. About 100 volunteers participated in the programme. An ambulance service with medical and paramedical staff was deployed at the beach to meet any medical emergency. About 135-kg of debris was collected and handed over to GVMC Visakhapatnam for further disposal and recycling. The programme was supported by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, among others. Marking the occasion, the beach clean-up programme was simultaneously carried out in 21 beaches across the country at the same time in 21 beaches.
Time of India
08-06-2025
- General
- Time of India
9 beach stretches need anti-erosion measures, overall status of Goa not alarming: Govt panel
Panaji: A panel formed to discuss sand erosion in Goa has highlighted that nine beach stretches require urgent intervention. State govt will take one beach stretch as a pilot project, using sand motor technology to protect the coastline from sand erosion. Information was provided by Chennai's National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management, National Institute of Ocean Technology, and National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), as well as Isro. Discussions and presentations focused on the evolution trends of erosion provided by the respective institutes. According to NCCR, Morjim beach is accreting (growing by accumulation). NCCR suggested sharing the geolocation details of potential areas of interest (the nine locations) for their verification. The Netherlands-based company Deltares, which is engaged by state govt to evaluate the causes of erosion, emphasised defining goals, scope, and role of the organisation with the stakeholders to finalise the study area. The satellite imagery for the 1985-2020 period shows that erosion was noticed at Querim, Mandrem, and Morjim, although Morjim seems stable now. Further, in South Goa, the area between Velsao and Benaulim seems to have undergone accretion as well as erosion. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Memperdagangkan CFD Emas dengan salah satu spread terendah? IC Markets Mendaftar Undo The Betalbatim to Cavelossim stretch has a smaller net erosion, so it would be worthwhile to conduct further investigation, experts said. Palolem also seems to have natural erosion. During the meeting, it was suggested that the potential areas of interest include Morjim, Anjuna, and the larger erosion areas from Colva to Cavelossim. It was also determined that erosion was not alarming along the Goa coastline, which is a positive sign. The experts said the problem will not require major interventions and can be tackled with natural solutions, which are more feasible for Goa than for other stretches of the Indian coast. To select an area for action, its physical situation, erosion, flooding risk, as well as the site's economic value have to be considered. The committee discussed soft and hard measures to mitigate erosion. The soft measures include beach nourishment, shoreface nourishment, and sand motor (mega nourishment). The hard measures include seawalls, revetments (protective shields for beach-saving structures) and groynes (low, sturdy walls). Gipson Miranda from the WRD suggested that South Goa beaches like Velsao, Varca, Colva, and Mobor combat erosion. Some anti-erosion measures were put in place at Betalbatim beach a few years ago. Experts said the beach requires immediate restoration measures.
The Hindu
07-06-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Puducherry: Eden Beach at Chinna Veerampattinam faces coastal erosion again
Eden Beach, one of the few Blue Flag-certified beaches in the country, located at Chinna Veerampattinam, is once again facing the problem of coastal erosion after the sea began inching closer to the shore in the first week of April. The impact of the erosion this time was so high that the basement of a concrete structure constructed at the beach to hoist the Blue Flag, following the certification by Denmark-based non-profit organisation Foundation for Environmental Education (FEE), caved in, leading to the removal of the flag itself. The FEE accords the status to beaches across the world based on certain parameters, including eco-friendliness and safety. 'The sea water began entering the beach in the first week of April, and as days passed, the intensity of water entering the coast increased rapidly, leading to the collapse of the basement of the concrete structure. A similar situation occurred in 2022 too, but its intensity was not as high,' said a resident of Chinna Veerampattinam. Seasonal reversal of littoral currents According to former director of National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) M.V. Ramana Murthy, the erosion in the area was due to seasonal changes in littoral current. Whenever there is a seasonal change, localised erosion would occur at Eden Beach. 'The observed erosion at Eden Beach is due to seasonal reversal of littoral currents in the month of April, which is localised, and it has happened earlier too. It is always recommended to keep away facilities from the zone of seasonal changes, and the same has been intimated to the Puducherry government in previous instances,' he added. The erosion at Eden Beach has found a reference in a report titled 'Management of Coastal Erosion along the Union Territory of Puducherry: Shoreline Management Plan', prepared jointly by the Ministry of Earth Sciences and NCCR, last year. The shoreline change analysis, carried out using satellite data from 1990 to 2022, has indicated the beach to be in 'a low erosion to stable transmission region.' A small erosion was also reported in 2017, the report said. 'A proper understanding of the coast and its influencing factors is necessary before developing coastal infrastructure. Generally, the construction of coastal infrastructure for tourism and other activities is to be avoided in erosion stretches,' the report said. However, the report noted that if development has to be carried out in that specific location, a proper estimation of the long and short-term erosion rate has to be understood. And based on the erosion rate, effective coastal protection measures could be provided, it said. Mitigation measures Minister for Public Works and Tourism K. Lakshminarayanan told The Hindu that the government was aware of the situation at Eden Beach, and mitigation measures are being worked out. 'We will immediately take up measures after taking into consideration coastal regulation rules. The mitigation measures are also being taken up in other hamlets where costal erosion was reported,' he said.
Time of India
04-06-2025
- Health
- Time of India
NCCR joins pollution watch on south TN coast after ship sinks off Kerala
Chennai: More than a week after a Liberia-flagged vessel sank off the Kerala coast, spilling plastic nurdles into the sea, pollution studies began along the southern Tamil Nadu coast. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now A team from the national centre for coastal research (NCCR) was stationed in Kanyakumari to collect beach and coastal water samples to assess the potential impact of the spill. "It will be a recurring survey. Our team started collecting samples in Kanyakumari and may extend the collection up to Kudankulam. This will serve as baseline data to assess whether the accident affected our coast," said R S Kankara, director, NCCR. "This report will serve as a supplement to the Tamil Nadu govt's ongoing assessment efforts," he added. The collected data will be compared with time-series data from NCCR's routine coastal monitoring programme. NCCR researchers routinely monitor seawater quality under the Seawater Quality Monitoring Programme, collecting physical, chemical, and biological samples from 50 locations across the country, including seven along the TN coast. On May 25, the container vessel MSL ELSA 3 sank about 38 nautical miles (about 70 km) off the Kerala coast, between Vizhinjam and Kochi. The ship was carrying 640 containers, including 13 with hazardous materials such as calcium carbide, along with 84.44 tonnes of diesel and 367.1 tonnes of furnace oil. In the days following the accident, plastic nurdles from the ship began washing up along the Kerala coast and drifting towards Tamil Nadu. Tuticorin-based NGO Suganthi Devadasan Marine Research Institute (SDMRI) is also carrying out a comprehensive pollution study across 20 locations, starting from Neerody, a village near Tamil Nadu's southernmost tip.
