Begin typing your search...
‘Development wave’ brings tsunami of woes
Development at the cost of nature causing irreversible havoc is a bitter truth, more so when it comes to our coastline. A case in point is the beach in Puducherry, which has vanished owing to a fishing harbour. Though efforts are on to restore the beach at a huge cost, the lessons it has taught us continue to be ignored owing to narrow pursuit of immediate gains in the name of ‘development’.
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Until the 1980s, Puducherry town had a lovely stretch of pristine beach with yellow sand. For all the old-timers it still remains a fond memory as to how one could traverse the whole beach stretch with the waves lapping up on the shore. But after 1986 the whole situation changed with the beach disappearing and in its place arose a stone wall.
The reason behind this man made tsunami was a commercial harbour built at the mouth of Ariankuppam river about 1.5 km south of the main town, totally ignoring the aspect that the sand movement along this coastline is one of the highest in the world. Nine months of a year the sand is sifted northwards (0.6 million cu m) while three months of a year it moves southwards (0.1 million cu m). Hence, the net displacement of sand northwards to an extent of 0.5 million cubic metre has been stalled owing to two breakwaters built to create an artificial entrance for the harbour.
Damage control measures prove costly
To undo the largescale and widespread erosion, a ‘sand by-passing and beach nourishment system’ was created to mitigate the effects. Dredging machines were put in place to shift sand, which all along was done by nature. However, as politics would have it and contractors playing havoc, the project was ineffective and seldom practised resulting in pristine beach to the extent of seven kilometres being lost.
Did the commercial harbour built at the cost of the beach contribute to Puducherry government’s economy? The answer is sheer disappointment No. The commercial harbour, unutilised since its inception, serves as a mere fishing harbour revealing as to how knee-jerk development plans can turn counterproductive.
Ray of hope
Aurofilio Schiavina of Pondy Citizens’ Action Network (PONDYCAN), spearheading the campaign to revive the lost beach, says, “After a long struggle, there seems to be some light at the end of tunnel. The Ministry of Earth Sciences through National Institute of Ocean Technology has embarked on a pilot project for the restoration of the lost beach through construction of offshore multipurpose reef and beach nourishment. Tenders have been floated, a consultant has been hired and work is set to commence beginning next year.”
However, another interesting aspect is that the process also involves redesigning the defunct commercial harbour. It is hoped that the size of the two breakwaters is reduced by 50 per cent so that the natural shift of the sand resumes. It will bring down the cost of dredging, which is almost 15 cr per year.
According to Water Resource Department sources, during the past four decades alone some 350 hectares of land have been lost along the Chennai coast. In addition to all this there is increasing salinity of groundwater, which forces residents to buy packaged water.
When developments mean otherwise
Another disturbing feature is that the erosion is fast spreading like cancer since there has been no end to mega constructions like power plants jutting out into the sea and the creation of sea walls and groynes to reclaim lost beaches. It has been found that for every square metre of beach gained through a groyne, about 3.6 metre square of beach is lost.
However, it’s just not the coast in Puducherry and Chennai, which is facing such erosion. For that matter India’s 7,500 metre coastline continues to be fragile especially the projects along the coast showing utter disregard to the enormous environmental, sociological, cultural and economic impacts, with absolutely no accountability.
(File photo of breakwaters being extended at Royapuram fishing harbour. Photo: Courtesy: Ahana Lakshmi)
Eroding East Coast
- The sand movement along the East Coastline is one of the highest in the world.
- The net displacement of sand northwards to an extent of 0.5 million cubic metre.
- The commercial harbour built at Ariyankuppam has stalled the sand movement resulting in largescale erosion along the coastline near Puducherry.
- For every square metre of beach gained through a groyne, about 3.6 metre square of beach is lost.
- 350 hectares of land have been lost to erosion along the Chennai coast in the last 40 years, according to Water Resource Department sources.
- Rs 15 cr/year is spent on dredging to artificially facilitate sifting of sand, which is not implemented properly.
How Chennai is affected
- Total length of Tamil Nadu coastline – 906.9 km.
- The coast north of Chennai harbor has been experiencing erosion at the rate of about 8 metres per year.
- Construction of Ennore port breakwaters has arrested the movement of longshore sediment transport, resulting in accretion on the south and erosion on the north side.
Visit news.dtnext.in to explore our interactive epaper!
Download the DT Next app for more exciting features!
Click here for iOS
Click here for Android
Next Story
