Uppada coast continues to face erosion threat

Research body recommends erecting 5 km sea wall

Erosion on the Uppada coast in East Godavari district has been a major concern for a long time, and continues to be a threat to the vegetation and the fisherfolk habitat.

A decade ago, a geo-tube was installed along the 1.5 km coastline to prevent erosion. However, hit by repeated cyclones and high tidal waves, the geo-tube has mostly been destroyed. As a result, erosion has eaten up several houses, roads and acres of soil of the fisherfolk habitat. It did not even spare a temple that once stood on the beach.

The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS-Pune) has recommended erecting a five-km sea wall with five-layer geo material to arrest the erosion that is at its peak now. The ₹176 crore proposal is now under the consideration of the State government, according to sources. [Readmore]

Thottappally harbour to be upgraded to global standards

‘₹112-cr. for new breakwater on north, longer structure on south’

The State Government is planning to upgrade the Thottappally fishing harbour on a par with international standards, Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian has said.

Replying to a submission by Ambalappuzha MLA H. Salam in the Assembly on Thursday, Mr. Cherian said the department was preparing an estimate of ₹112 crore for constructing a 436-m breakwater on the northern side and increasing the length of the breakwater on the southern side, among other works.

The first phase of the harbour was completed in 2011. However, the harbour remains almost dysfunctional due to heavy silting in the harbour basin, which makes navigation an arduous task. The Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Pune, which conducted a study, recommended increasing the length of the breakwater on the southern side and construction of a new breakwater on the northern side to prevent the accumulation of silt.[Readmore]

Central water officials review Polavaram works

Polavaram: The officials of the Central Water and Power Research Station—scientist-E, M Selva Balan, scientist-C, JK Singh, RA from SMA division Khalil Bhagawan—visited the Polavaram project on Tuesday and observed the working of the instrumentation in the gallery. They went around to find out how many boxes were installed and how many are yet to be installed and also the working of these boxes. The CWPRS officials were accompanied by Irrigation Chief Engineer Sudhakar Babu, superintending engineer Narasimha Murthy, executive engineer Adi Reddy, DEE Rameswar Naidu, Megha Engineering vice-president Rangarajan, general manager Muddukrishna, Devmani Mishra, AGM Rajesh Kumar, manager Murali.[Readmore]

Batpady sea erosion: Ports Department to get expert advice from CWPRS

Beach erosion has intensified at Batpady despite execution of ADB-funded Someshwara Beach Rejuvenation Project.

With the Asian Development Bank-funded Someshwara Beach Rejuvenation Project coming to and end and southern parts of the stretch in Batpady getting completely eroded, the Ports Department has decided to get technical guidance from the Central Water and Power Research Station, Pune, to prevent erosion.

The ADB-funded project was active for about four years during which a special unit of the department constructed ten groynes horizontally into the sea between Uchchila and Batpady. It also constructed two offshore reefs on the Uchchila-Batpady stretch. Both these structures were intended to break the velocity of waves and help beach rejuvenation. Close to ₹240 crore was said to have been spent on this project.

While beach erosion has considerably reduced on the Uchchila stretch where the groynes and one offshore reef were constructed, it has aggravated at the Batpady stretch where one reef was constructed. Local residents had been demanding the construction of two or three more groynes towards the Kerala border, which did not happen.

Executive Engineer of Udupi Division with Ports Department, Tharakesh Phayde told The Hindu that a team from CWPRS was expected to visit Batpady stretch this month-end or during the first week of October to study the encroachment and determine the reasons. CWPRS will also be asked to evaluate the impact of the beach rejuvenation project. Once the institute submits its recommendations, the department will take necessary action, he said.[Readmore]

Brahmaputra Board inks pact with IIT-Guwahati for flood, erosion control

Guwahati, July 30: The Brahmaputra Board has joined hands with the Indian Institute of Technology, Guwahati, for flood and erosion management in the Brahmaputra and Barak basins in Assam. The Brahmaputra Board in a press release said that its chairman and IIT-G director had a discussion during a joint visit to Majuli and both the organizations agreed to have a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for cooperation in the field of hydraulic and allied research focussed on flood and erosion management of the Brahmaputra and Barak rivers.

The North Eastern Hydraulic and Allied Institute (NEHARI), under the Brahmaputra Board, is carrying out a study for the protection of Majuli island in collaboration with IIT-G. Massive floods devastate Majuli, the world's largest freshwater river island, and erosion by the Brahmaputra takes away a large part of it. The hydraulic model laboratory of NEHARI is the second such laboratory of its kind in the country after the one at CWPRS, Pune. [Readmore]

Row as tetrapods are dumped by Bandra Bandstand without study

MUMBAI: Questions are being raised after concrete tetrapods, leftover from the coastal road-building at Haji Ali, were dumped into the sea along the Bandra Bandstand promenade without waiting for a report on the erosion of the coast from the Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), Khadakvasla.

In fact, the Maharashtra Maritime Board (MMB) issued permission to shift the tetrapods two days before a planned site visit of the CWPRS. The site visit came on March 5, two days after the Mumbai Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) had given MMB the go-ahead.

TIMESVIEW

It is intriguing that the state maritime board neither waited for a report from the Central Water and Power Research Station nor conducted a deep-sea study before dumping the tetrapods at Bandra Bandstand. Government engineers appear to have only two solutions for all ills — concrete and construction. They need to work with nature to create a liveable environment. [Readmore]

India's second Physical Modelling Centre for study on flood control coming up in Bihar

PATNA: India's second Physical Modelling Centre (PMC) is being set up at Veerpur in Bihar's Supaul district by the Water Resource Department (WRD) for carrying out research on flood control and their related wings.

The proposed centre will be equipped with all the latest technology-based systems to facilitate study and research on floods and river flow trend amongst experts from across the country.

After the PMC becomes operational, the state's WRD will save money and time on schemes related to flood control in the Kosi and anti-erosion works.

On Friday, Minister of Bihar's Water Resource Department Sanjay Kumar Jha, accompanied by principal secretary of WRD Sanjeev Hans and others, visited the spot to take stock of work done so far for setting up the Physical Modelling Centre.

Sources said that the PMC at Veerpur is being set up on the basis of CWPRS in Pune.

The need for this centre was realised in Bihar after the Kusha tragedy in 2008 to study the trend of flood erosion in Kosi, as well as other subsidy rivers of the state. [Readmore]