Lok Sabha Question No. 56 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-11-25
Subject: Impact of Coastal Erosion
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Captain Brijesh Chowta

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

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 56 TO BE ANSWERED ON 25.11.2024

## Impact of Coastal Erosion

## 56. SHRI CAPTAIN BRIJESH CHOWTA:

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

- (a)   whether any studies have been undertaken to assess the sea-level rise and its impact on the country's coastal region and if so, the details thereof specially for the State of Karnataka, including Dakshina Kannada;
- (b)  whether the Government has any plans to address the threat of coastal erosion arising from this threat of rising sea-levels;
- (c) if so, whether there is any policy to secure the lives or rehabilitate those who are at the threat of losing their land each year owing to coastal erosion and rising sea levels; and
- (d)  whether  there  are  any  coastal  protection  measures  and  shoreline  management  efforts  that have been put in place for the vulnerable coastal stretches of the State of Karnataka?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

- (a) Indian  National  Centre  for  Ocean  Information  and  Services  (INCOIS),  an  autonomous institute under Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) has prepared the Multi-Hazard Vulnerability Maps (MHVM) for the mainland of India at 1:25000 scale. These maps were prepared based on the composites of extreme water levels recorded by the tide gauges and other published scientific literature, shoreline change rate estimated from satellite data, rate of sea level change and highresolution  topographic  data  (Airborne  Lidar  Terrain  Mapping,  and  Digital  Terrain  Models derived from Cartosat-1 data). The MHVM indicates the probable areas of the coast that would get  flooded  due  to  oceanogenic  disasters  like  tsunamis  and  storm  surges  in  100-year  return periods.

Coastal erosion is one of the impact of sea level rise along the Indian coastline. National Centre for Coastal Research, (NCCR), an attached office of MoES, 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. As per NCCR study, it has been observed that 33.6% of the Indian coastline is under erosion, 26.9% is under accretion (growing) and 39.6% is in a stable state. In Karnataka, around 50% of the Karnataka coast is in stable conditions, 26% and 24% is under accretion and erosion respectively. The study has also estimated the coastal erosion along various coastal districts of Karnataka and the details are given below:

| District        | Coastal Length   | Erosion   | Erosion   | Stable   | Stable   | Accretion   | Accretion   |
|-----------------|------------------|-----------|-----------|----------|----------|-------------|-------------|
|                 | (In km)          | km        | %         | km       | %        | km          | %           |
| Uttar Kannada   | 175.65           | 21.64     | 12.3      | 107.8    | 61.4     | 46.22       | 26.3        |
| Udipi           | 100.71           | 34.96     | 34.7      | 40.97    | 40.7     | 24.78       | 24.6        |
| Dakshin Kannada | 36.66            | 17.74     | 48.4      | 8.02     | 21.9     | 10.9        | 29.7        |
| Total           | 313.02           | 74.34     | 23.7      | 156.78   | 50.1     | 81.9        | 26.2        |

(b) to (d) The Government of India is committed for taking proactive steps in combating sea  erosion  and  protection  of  India's  coastal  areas  and  the  coastal  communities.  Some  of  the important measures taken are as follows:

- i. Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change  (MoEF&CC)  in  association  with Survey of India (SOI) 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 (CZMP) of the coastal States/Union territories approved by the MoEF&CC.
- ii. MoEF&CC has notified Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2019 with a view to conserve and protect coastal stretches, marine areas and to ensure livelihood security to the fisher and other local communities. The coastal regulations, however, permit setting up  of  erosion  control  measures  in  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.
- iii. The  Ministry  has  issued  directions  to  Coastal  States/UTs  for  incorporation  of  the Shoreline Management Plan in CZMP as per the provisions CRZ Notification, 2019.
- iv. MoEFCC has framed a national strategy for coastal protection along with guidelines for all Coastal States and Union Territories.
- v. Mangrove  and  shelterbelt  plantations  also  helps  in  control  of  coastal  erosion.  Union Budget  2023-24  announced  'Mangrove  Initiative  for  Shoreline  Habitats  &  Tangible Incomes (MISHTI)' to promote and conserve mangroves, which will also work as a bio shield.
- vi. The  Flood  Management  Scheme  of  Ministry  of  Jal  Shakti,  including  anti-sea  erosion schemes, are planned and executed by the State Governments with their own resources as per  priorities  of  States.  Union  Government  provided  assistance  to  states  which  is technical, advisory, catalytic and promotional in nature.
- vii. Considering  the  importance  of  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. Establishment  of  three  sites  each  in  the  State  of  Kerala,  Tamil  Nadu  and  UT  of Puducherry has been completed.

- viii. The  15 th Finance  Commission  has  recommended  Rs.  1000  crore  for  resettlement  of displaced people affected by erosion for 2021-26 under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF). In addition, Rs.1500 crore is earmarked for mitigation measures to prevent river and  coastal  erosion  for  the  same  period  under  National  Disaster  Mitigation  Fund (NDMF).  For  both  funds  (NDRF  and  NDMF),  state  governments  will  have  to  avail resources on a cost-sharing basis.
- ix. National  Cyclone  Risk  Mitigation  Project  (NCRMP)  Phase-II  is  implemented  in  6 Coastal States (Goa, Gujarat, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra and West Bengal) with an overall  budget/outlay  of  Rs.  1864.38  Cr  (GoI  share  Rs.1465.16  Cr,  State  Share  Rs. 399.22 Cr), since July 2015 to March 2023.
- x. The  Government  of  Karnataka  has  prepared  the  Shoreline  Management  Plan  in compliance to the provisions of CRZ Notification, 2019. Further, Government Karnataka is  in  the  process  of  implementation  of Karnataka Strengthening Coastal  Resilience and the  Economy  (K-  SHORE)  Project  under  World  Bank  assistance,  with  an  objective  to enhance  coastal  protection  and  resilience  of  coastal  infrastructure,  strengthening  of livelihood of the coastal communities and tackling of marine plastic pollution.

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