‘Kovalam groynes illegal, will erode city beaches’

Nityanand Jayaraman, environmentalist, said that despite repeated warnings, the construction of the groynes went on, without the permission of the Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA).

As per the minutes of the 90th meeting of the TNSCZMA on August 3, 2016, the construction of groynes cost Rs 18.30 crores. It was also mentioned by the District Coastal Zone Management Authority for Kancheepuram district that the Fisheries Department has already constructed two groynes. Only at the 90th meeting, was the project recommended for consideration.

“Within a month of construction of seven illegal groynes, we have noticed severe erosion. This means that all the beaches north of Kovalam, like Besant Nagar and Thiruvanmiyur beaches, will be affected. With the monsoon months ahead, the erosions will be advanced. First of all, it was a stupid idea to set up groynes to save the coast. But there has been absolutely no concern for law. The Fisheries Department built the groynes without the permission of the TNSCZMA, which only in its recently meeting had recommended the project for clearance, after the groynes have been built. Despite the presence of the district collector, the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, TNSCZMA and the National Green Tribunal, gross violations are taking place in the coastal areas,” said Nityanand. 

Aurofilio Schiavina, a volunteer from Pondicherry Citizen’s Action Network (PondyCan), said the urgency to build the groynes in Kovalam was unclear. Schiavina has been representing petitioners Ossie Fernandes and C H Balamohan at the National Green Tribunal for indiscriminate building of groynes and other such structures along the coast of Pondicherry. “Without considering the causes of erosion, authorities have been blindly building sea walls and groynes, which have added to the problem of erosion. Groynes have been known to pass the erosion to the nearby beaches. We have demanded for a comprehensive and sustainable approach for coastline management and protection. We have also successfully stalled the building of groynes in Ernavoor in north Chennai. The rush to build groynes in Kovalam is not very clear,” he said. 

Experts opined that groynes can’t be blindly used to arrest coastal erosion. A detailed study should be conducted before deciding on constructing training walls or groynes to arrest coastal erosion. In addition, the problem of erosion should be looked at from a holistic perspective rather than piecemeal solutions, which won’t solve the problem of erosion.