New Delhi: At least 33.6% of the Indian coastline is vulnerable to erosion, 26.9% is under accretion (growing) and 39.6% is in a stable state. In Puducherry, and many other states, considerable erosion has taken place on its beaches.
A study by the National Centre for Coastal Research, (NCCR), an attached office of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, reveals that the shoreline changes are a combined effect of natural and human activities and the receding coastline will cause loss of land/habitat and the livelihood of fishermen in terms of losing the space for parking boats, mending nets and fishing operations.
NCCR has monitored the shoreline changes for the entire Indian coastline using multi-spectral satellite images along with field-surveyed data for the period 1990-2018.
Under the shoreline mapping system undertaken by NCCR, 526 maps are prepared for the entire Indian mainland coast for identifying vulnerable areas to coastal erosion in 1:25000 scale, along with 69 district maps, and 9 States and 2 Union Territory (UT) maps.
Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Ashwini Kumar Choubey in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today said the Government of India was committed to taking proactive steps in combating sea erosion and protecting India’s coastal areas and the coastal communities.
He mentioned some of the important measures taken by the government which are as follows:
- Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has delineated the hazard line for the entire coast of the country. The hazard line is indicative of the shoreline changes, including sea level rise due to climate change. This line is to be used by agencies in Coastal States as a tool for Disaster Management including planning of adaptive and mitigation measures. The hazard line features in the new Coastal Zone Management Plans of the coastal States/Union territories approved by the MoEFCC.
- MoEFCC has notified Coastal Regulation Zone Notification, 2019 to conserve and protect coastal stretches, and marine areas and to ensure livelihood security to the fisher and other local communities. The coastal regulations, however, permit the setting up of erosion control measures on the coast. The notification also provides for No Development Zones (NDZ) along various categories of coastal areas to protect India’s coastline from encroachment and erosion.
- In addition, in compliance with a National Green Tribunal order dated April 11, 2022, Chief Secretaries of all the Coastal States and Union Territories, including Puducherry, have been requested to finalize the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP), which also includes mapping of erosion-prone areas and preparation of Shore Line Management Plan for such identified eroding stretches shown in the CZMP.
- MoEFCC has framed a national strategy for coastal protection along with guidelines for all Coastal States and Union Territories.
- The Flood Management Scheme of the Ministry of Jal Shakti, including anti-sea erosion schemes, are planned and executed by the State Governments with their resources as per the priorities of the States. Union Government assists states which are technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional.
- Considering the importance of the collection of data on coastal processes towards coastal protection measures, a new component “Coastal Management Information System (CMIS)” was initiated under the Central Sector Plan Scheme “Development of Water Resources Information System”. CMIS is a data collection activity carried out to collect near-shore coastal data which can be used in planning, design, construction and maintenance of site-specific coastal protection structures at vulnerable Coastal stretches. The establishment of three sites each in the State of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and UT of Puducherry has been completed.
- Coastal erosion mitigation measures have been taken up at Puducherry and Chellanam in Kerala, which helped in the restoration and protection of coastal areas lost at Puducherry and flooding at Chellanam Fishing Village. Technical support has been extended to the coastal States in the design of coastal protection measures at vulnerable stretches and preparation of Shoreline Management Plans.
– global bihari bureau
