Steps suggested to curb beach erosion in Visakhapatnam
Short term measures cost around Rs 16 crore, long term measure to cost around Rs 75 crore
By : DC Correspondent
Update: 2015-07-23 04:11 GMT
Visakhapatnam: The Chennai-based National Institute of Technology (NIOT), the nodal agency of a special committee appointed by the state government, to analyse the causes of erosion along the beach road in Vizag and suggest both short and long-term measures had submitted a draft interim report to the convenor of the committee - GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar.
The NIOT experts suggested to immediately install a sill like structure - geo-synthetic tubes 220mts from the shore and beach nourishment along the 2.5kms stretch as short term measures and also setting up an underwater artificial reef with tetrapod blocks that acts as a energy dissipater as long term measure. These measures will be taken on the coast between Coastal Battery and The Park hotel.
A tetrapod’s shape is designed to dissipate the force of incoming waves by allowing water to flow around rather than against it. District administration is expected to take up the short term measures and complete the works before December in the wake of Indian Navy’s Interna-tional Fleet Review scheduled o be held in February, next year and long term measures before the next monsoon.
A detailed discussion on the draft report submitted by the NIOT team will be discussed on July 24 in a meeting of all the stakeholders in the city. While the short term measures cost around Rs 16 crore, long term measure of setting up underwater artificial reef along 2.5 kms beach costs around Rs 75 crore.
World Bank had already assured of funding the beach restoration. The special committee had already sent the NIOT’s draft report to the World Bank officials to analyse the findings and suggestions and sought to release the funds as early as possible to take up the works.
While sill like structure or geo-synthetic tubes will allow sand to be deposited in the structure instead of going back into the deep sea along with the wave, artificial reef acts as energy dissipater and lessens the intensity of the wave while it touches the shore.
“The draft report submitted by the NIOT will be thoroughly discussed with the other stake holders on July 24. Further suggestions will also be taken from the other experts in the field. There is no problem for the funds to take up the measures suggested by the NIOT since World Bank assured us around Rs 250 crore funding for beach restoration. We will take up works as soon as we get the funds,” said GVMC commissioner and convenor of the committee, Pravin Kumar.