Rs 31 crore wall to come up in Dhanushkodi to curb soil erosion

After Dhanushkodi island was destroyed in the 1964 cyclone, all connectivity with the island was lost and vans, operated along the shore, were the only source of transport along with country boats used by fishermen.

After Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power, he allotted Rs 50 crore for constructing a new road to Dhanushkodi. Even as the road construction was under way, there were problems since often the road used to be covered by sand due to soil erosion caused by heavy wind. Though boulders were placed on the sides of the road, it did not help much. On many occasions, even the boulders were damaged.

The problem persisted even after the road was opened and tourists found it difficult to wade through the sand-filled route.

To resolve the problem, a new scheme to build a wall at a cost of Rs 31 crore has been proposed.

The wall would be 1.5 metres high and it would extend for three kilometres from Kambipadu to Arichalmunai where the problem of soil erosion persists.

Also, the boulders, which are at present acting as walls, would be spread along the beach so that the sand does not blow away.

By this, the erosion could be controlled and the process of constructing the walls would be completed in about four months. However, the boulders in the beach would be a blow to the turtles as they lay eggs only in the beach.