Lok Sabha Question No. 583 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-02-06
Subject: Threat to Coastal Community
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Richard Hay

## MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 583

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WESNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6, 2019

## THREAT TO COASTAL COMMUNITY

## 583.  PROF. RICHARD HAY:

Will the Minister of Earth Sciences be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the coastal vulnerability due to sea erosion, cyclones, floods, etc. has become a reality which poses a big threat to the lives of large coastal communities, especially the fishermen and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether his Ministry has taken steps to prevent such hazardous situation by implementing newer anti-sea erosion techniques;
- (c) if  so,  the  details  thereof  and  the  new  measures  taken  to  protect  and restore the entire coastline of the country; and
- (d) whether the stakeholders have been taken into confidence while implementing preventive measures and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES

(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

- (a) Yes, Madam. Recognizing the importance of coastal vulnerability due to sea  erosion,  a  set  of  shoreline  maps  have  been  prepared  for  the  entire main coastline of India on 1:25,000 scale.  Under this programme, about 6632  km  long  coastline  distributed  among  nine  coastal  States  and  two Union  Territories  was  analyzed  using  26  years  of  satellite  data  for  the period 1990-2016 and field verifications to estimate the shoreline change i.e. erosion, accretion and stable.  From the analysis, it is found that 33% of  coast  was  eroding,  29%  was  accreting  and  38%  was  in  stable  state. The  analysis  revealed  that  the  West  Bengal  (63%)  coast  was  the  most vulnerable  to  erosion  followed  by  Puducherry  (57%),  Kerala  (45%)  and Tamil Nadu (41%), respectively.
- (b) Yes,  Madam.  Steps  have  been  taken  to  demonstrate  prevention  of  such hazardous situation by implementing anti-sea erosion techniques.
- (c) Towards  undertaking  new  measures  to  protect  and  restore  the  entire coastline  of  the  country,  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences  through  National Institute  of  Ocean  Technology  has  developed  innovative  solutions  for coastal protection and demonstrated at two sites,  Kadalur Periyakuppam in Tamil Nadu and City of Puducherry as pilot projects which includes both technical  and    financial  support  from  the  Ministry  of  Earth  Sciences.  A segmented  submerged  dyke  all  along  the  three  Kadalur  fishing  villages covering 1.7 km length of coast with a gap of 60 m between each segment of 200m  length using geosynthetic tubes has been designed and implemented.    Similarly,  in  Pondicherry  a  submerged  north  Reef  in triangular wedge of length 170 m projecting into sea, in which 120 m is below water protects the coast by reducing wave energy. As a result of scientific innovation and implementation, beach has been restored in both Pondicherry and Kadalur village.
- (d) Yes,  Madam.  The  various  stakeholders  viz.,  Government  of  Pondicherry, Government of Tamil Nadu, local fisher men, villagers, local panchayats have been taken into confidence while implementing the projects.

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