Lok Sabha Question No. 6451 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-06
Subject: Changes in Coastal and Desert Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: RAHUL KASWAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No: 6451

TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.04.2018

## Changes in Coastal and Desert Areas

## 6451: SHRI RAHUL KASWAN:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  proposes  to  undertake  a  thorough  study  of  various  aspects  of bio-geographical, chemical/biological changes in coastal and desert areas in the Western part of the country;
- (b)  if so, the details thereof with regard to Rajasthan, Gujarat and Tamil Nadu etc.;
- (c)   the aims of the study along with the names of institutes related by the study;
- (d)   whether  the  environment  of  the  coastal  areas  of  the  Western  India  is  affecting  due  to human interference; and
- (e)  if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a)  &  (b)  Studies  have  been  undertaken  along  the  coastal  stretches  of  western  part  of  the country  on  various  aspects  of  bio-geographical,  chemical/biological  changes  in  coastal waters.  The levels of marine pollution are monitored on seasonal basis for various physical, chemical  and  microbiological  parameters  in  coastal  waters.  The  data  generated  helps  in taking mitigating action, whenever pollution levels crosses the threshold values.  Likewise, studies  have  been  undertaken  on  Desertification  and  Land  Degradation  Atlas  of  India  has been developed, which includes aspects of bio-geographical, chemical/biological changes in the desert areas in the western part of the country.
- (c)  The  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  monitors  coastal  water  quality  under  the  project 'Monitoring  and  Prediction  of  Health  of  Estuarine  and  Coastal  Waters  (COMAPS)'. Ecosystem Modelling of South West Coastal Waters of India has also been undertaken by Ministry of Earth Sciences in order to provide scenarios of natural/anthropogenic changes in coastal  productivity  under  the  changing  environmental  conditions.    National  Centre  for Sustainable  Coastal  Management  (NCSCM),  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate Change  has  carried  out  the  mapping  of  the  coastal  ecologically  sensitive  areas  (ESAs) including  the  Critically  Vulnerable  Coastal  Areas  (CVCAs).  The  land  degradation  studies conducted  by  Space  Applications  Centre,  Ahmedabad  revealed  that  desertification/land degradation area in Rajasthan has decreased by about 0.29 per cent in the period 2011-2013

as  compared  to  levels  of  2003-2005.    For  Gujarat,  the  land  degradation  has  increased  by about 0.94 per cent during the same period.

(d) & (e) The marine life gets affected due to pollution caused by chemicals, waste, garbage and  untreated  sewage  discharged  from  industries  and  plants  in  the  coastal  stretches  of  the country.    Such  discharge  causes  nutrient  enrichment  of  the  coastal  waters,  which  leads  to algal bloom, eutrophication and hypoxia. These have diverse impacts ranging from change in colour of the sea surface to mass fish kills and adverse effects on marine mammals, birds, and sea turtles.

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