Lok Sabha Question No. 3759 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-12-18
Subject: Stretches of Coastline for Restoration
Ministry: EARTH SCIENCES
Asked by: Shri Sanjay Haribhau Jadhav

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF EARTH SCIENCES LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3759

## TO BE ANSWERED ON WEDNESDAY, 18 TH  DECEMBER, 2024

## STRETCHES OF COASTLINE FOR RESTORATION

## †3759.     SHRI SANJAY HARIBHAU JADHAV:

Will the Minister of EARTH SCIENCES be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the country's coastline has suffered extensive erosion due to natural causes and human activities;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to conduct any survey and make measurements using scientific methods to identify the stretches of coastline eroding due to natural causes and human activities;
- (d) if so, the details thereof;
- (e) whether the Government has identified such stretches of coastline for restoration; and
- (f) if  so,  the  details  thereof  alongwith  the  action  plan  for  restoration  of  the  said coastline?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MINISTRY OF SCIENCES AND TECHNOLOGY AND EARTH SCIENCES (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

- (a) Yes.
- (b) The  National  Centre  for  Coastal  Research  (NCCR),  an  attached  office  of  the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has studied the shoreline changes along Indian coast  using  satellite  and  field  surveyed  data  and  mapped  the  6907.18  km  long shoreline, covering the entire Indian mainland coast. The study counts more than a dozen  reasons  for  the  shoreline  changes,  by  categorizing  them  as  natural  and anthropogenic causes. It is identified that, actions due to storm surges to sea level rise  as  natural  causes  and  construction  of  structures  at  the  coasts  like  harbours, beach mining and building of dams on rivers are the main anthropogenic causes for shoreline changes.
- (c) &(d) Based on scientific methodology, National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), has already undertaken an assessment of coastal erosion and identified coastal areas subjected  to  sea  erosion  for  the  time  frame  1990-2018  using  remote  sensing  and field  surveyed  data.  The  study  reveals  that  34%  of  the  Indian  coastline  was vulnerable to erosion.

In  addition,  under  the  shoreline  mapping  system,  526  maps  were  prepared  for theentire Indian mainland coast for identifying vulnerable areas to coastal erosion in 1:25000 scale, along with 69 district maps, and 9 State and 2 UT maps. A report on "National Assessment of Shoreline Changes along Indian Coast" was released in July  2018  and  the  report  was  shared  with  various  Central  and  State  Government agencies  and  stakeholders  for  implementing  shoreline  protection  measures.  An updated version of Atlas, along with a digital version of the report, containing all the maps, was released on 25 th March 2022.

- (e) & (f) Yes. NCCR  had successfully demonstrated the innovative coastal erosion mitigation measures at Puducherry and Chellanam coast in Kerala, which helped in restoration and protection of coastal areas of lost beach at Puducherry and flooding at Chellanam, a fishing village. NCCR is also providing technical support to Govt of Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Kerala in monitoring of coastline, design  of  coastal  protection  measures  at  vulnerable  stretches  and  preparation  of Shoreline  Management  Plan.    The  implementation  of  coastal/  beach  restoration measures are undertaken by  the  respective maritime States and  UTs. as  per  their own priority.

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