7 August :Worried over shore erosion due to high tidal wave at many places along Orissa’s 480-km-long coast, the state government decided to prepare a long term strategy to protect beaches.
A day after announcing its plan to initiate shore protection activities in Puri, Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik asked the officials to ensure that a thorough study was conducted to know the reason behind sudden roughness of the sea along the state’s coast.
"IIT-Chennai has been assigned the job of the study to know reasons as well suggest ways on how to tackle the situation," Patnaik told reporters after the meeting on Thursday.The meeting attended by secretaries of various departments, including forest and environment, revenue, the state’s chief relief commissioner and other scientists agreed to conduct a study and take of shore restoration activities on war footing.
Besides Puri, shore erosion was noticed at Konark, Paradip, Chilika, Gopalpur, Kendrapara along the coast.Though some experts observed that the tide had become violent in Orissa coast due to rise in the sea level, Patnaik asked them to wait till the study report by IIT-Chennai was available.
"Besides IIT-Chennai, three other experts groups will also conduct study on the subject," Revenue and Disaster Management Minister Manmohan Samal said.He said the sea erosion had posed danger to the life and properties of lakhs of people who dwell along the coast.
"The restoration and protection of shore in other places will be taken up soon," he said adding that erosion was witnessed since the last year.Meanwhile, Samal said a five-member team of experts on Thursday rushed to Chilika lake to study the impact of a new opening close to its existing one.
A report from the Ganjam district said while Gopalpur-on-sea and Pottalampur experienced wrath of the sea last year, this time erosion had started in Ramaya Patana village of Kanishi Tehsil in the same district.
Though the village was at a safe distance from the sea earlier, it was barely 30 m away from the human habitation. COURTSEY DDINEWS