Lok Sabha Question No. 4 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-02-02
Subject: Soil Erosion
Ministry: WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANAGA REJUVENATION
Asked by: DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT & GANGA REJUVENATION

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4

ANSWERED ON 02.02.2017

## SOIL EROSION

## 4.        SHRIMATI DARSHANA VIKRAM JARDOSH

Will the Minister of WATER RESOURCES, RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA REJUVENATION be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  details  and  updated  status  of  the  action  taken  and  efforts  made  by  the  Union  Government  in coordination with the Government of Gujarat to protect the fertile land from soil erosion in coastal areas of Gujarat;
- (b) the achievements made in this regard during the last five years; and
- (c) the quantum of funds spent thereon by the Union Government during the said period along with the amount proposed to be provided/utilized during 2016-17?

## ANSWER

## THE  MINISTER OF  STATE  FOR  WATER  RESOURCES,  RIVER DEVELOPMENT AND GANGA  REJUVENATION

(DR. SANJEEV KUMAR  BALYAN)

(a)  to  (c)  The  subject  of  coastal  protection  falls  within  the  purview  of  the  States.  Accordingly,  the measures of erosion control in coastal areas are formulated and implemented by concerned States as per  their  priority.  The  Government  of  India  supplements  the  efforts  of  the  States  by  providing technical  advice  and  promotional  financial  assistance  for  management  of  coastal  erosion  in  critical areas.

A Shoreline Change Atlas of Indian coast has been prepared by Space Application Centre (SAC), Ahmedabad in  association  with  Central  Water  Commission  and  published  in  May,2014.  The  Atlas consists of shoreline change maps based on satellite data 1989-91 and 2004-06 on 1:25000 scale for the entire country including Gujarat. The maps show eroding, stable and accreting coast along with the status of coastal protection measures taken up by maritime States/UTs. According to shore line change atlas,  of  the  total  coastline  of  1482.13  km.  of  Gujarat,  Daman  and  Diu,  486.43  km  is  affected  by erosion, 297.99 km. by accretion and 697.71 km of coastal length is stable.

In the year 1995, Ministry constituted a Coastal Protection and Development Advisory Committee (CPDAC)  for  organising, coordinating programme  of  collection, compilation, evaluation and publication of data relating to various natural phenomenon in coastal processes which affect the coast line, identification of coastal zones and draw up long term and short term plans for coastal protection. The CPDAC has met 14 times so far and its last meeting was held during 27-28 February, 2014 at Goa.

The  Government  of  India  had  launched  Flood  Management  Programme  (FMP)  in  XI  Plan  for providing  central  assistance  to  States  for  works  related  to  river  management  ,  flood  control,  antierosion,  drainage  development,  anti  sea  erosion,  flood  proofing  works,  restoration  of  damage  flood management works, etc. A scheme namely 'Providing coastal protection/sea wall to combat erosion from Sangam Narayan temple to Gayatri temple at Taluka- Dwarka district Jamnagar estimating to Rs. 7.9431  crore  was  approved  during  the  XI  Plan  under  FMP  and  an  amount  of  Rs.  2.00  crore  was released in 2010-11.

As  per  the  information  provided  by  the  State  Government  of  Gujarat,  a  total  of  50  soil  erosion works  along  coast  of  Gujarat  in  Valsad  (29),  Navsari  (8),  Surat  (11),  Devbhumi  Dwarka  (1)  and Bhavnagar (1) Districts have been carried out upto March 2016.  As a result, a total of 49.356 km. coastal length has been protected, about 5,600 Ha. land and 2,23,300 persons in 18,547 houses of 47 villages were benefitted. During the last five years about 15.300 Km coastal length, 1,22,200 souls of 12,565  Houses  and  1,398  hectare  land  has  been  protected  from  sea  erosion  by  providing  coastal protection sea wall. Govt. of India has released 135.00 crore for Coastal protection works of Gujarat for  period  2011-12  to  2015-16  based  on  the  recommendations  of  13 th Finance  Commission.  The details of funds spent by State Government of Gujarat during the last five years are as under:

(Rs. in lakhs)

| Year    |   Funds released by GOI under 13 th FC |   Funds spent under 13 th FC |   Total Fund spent |
|---------|----------------------------------------|------------------------------|--------------------|
| 2011-12 |                                   2875 |                         0    |            2313.12 |
| 2012-13 |                                      0 |                        25.76 |            1256.55 |
| 2013-14 |                                      0 |                      4170.17 |            4676.1  |
| 2014-15 |                                  10625 |                      8857.72 |            8857.72 |
| 2015-16 |                                      0 |                       446.35 |            1836.5  |
| Total   |                                  13500 |                     13500    |           19216.7  |

The funds proposed in State Budget, to be utilized for soil erosion works, are Rs.3639.00 lakhs during the year 2016-17.