Visakhapatnam: Excessive dredging activity in the Visakhapatnam and Gangavaram seaports could be the main factor behind the dreadful sea erosion at Rama Krishna Beach.
High tides had resulted in the walls of the beach road being eroded. Prof. Nandipati Subba Rao of Department of Geology, Andhra University, says that the lack of balance between excessive dredging and beach replenishment activities could fuel more such events.
Prof. Subba Rao says that the operational activities of the Visakhapatnam Port Trust started in 1933. The maintenance of channel depth through the dredging operations for access of large vessels into inner harbour incre-ased over time. The inadequate beach nourishment measures resulted in perturbation in natural beach processes. Gangavaram Port at Visakhapatnam started its operations in 2008 that has further deteriorated the beach nourishment, Prof. Subba Rao added.
The construction of breakwaters, using huge blocks in the outer harbour are to reduce the intensity of sea wave force in inshore waters for ensuring safe harborage. The adverse effects of accumulation of sediments are down drift of breakwaters, beach starvation and consequent increased erosion.
The significant differences in sea waves and irregularities in sand cycle also cause beach erosion.
Healthy beach profile continues only with adequate natural or artificial nourishment of sand. The formation of “Sand Island” nearby RK Beach after dumping of sand by VPT past beach erosion episode in 2014 proved the need of technological interventions to preserve the natural scenario, opined the Professor.
As per the estimation of the National Institute of Ocean Technology and the Central Water and Power Research Station, about 4 to 5 lakh tonnes of sand is required to control the beach erosion.
In near future, Vizag will become an industrial hub in the state and the frequent beach erosion should not create any panic among the investors and tourists, besides the locals.
The Professor suggested some long-term measures like regular monitoring of beach profile, strictures on minimum distance from beach for concrete constructions, minimum cumulative effects of major off-shore and on-shore activities, eco-balanced sand mining along the coast, promoting the long-term vegetation or re-vegetation programmes and constructing of breakwaters.
Works start to stop Vizag beach erosion
After receiving a draft interim report on the beach erosion in the city, the officials have decided to begin the works from January 2016 to curb beach erosion in the city. A dedicated private management consultant would be hired to prepare detail project report (DPR) for the permanent measures to control beach erosion.
Speaking at a meeting over the progress of the beach erosion works with the stakeholders in the presence of the beach erosion committee’s chairman M.T. Krishnababu at the collectorate here on Friday, district collector N. Yuvraj said that measures of setting up underwater artificial reef along the 2.5 km beach would be taken up at an estimated cost of Rs 75 crore with financial assistance from the World Bank.
The Chennai-based National Institute of Technology (NIOT), the nodal agency of a special committee appointed by the state government to analyse the causes for the beach erosion in Vizag has submitted a report to the convenor of the committee GVMC commissioner Pravin Kumar a few days back. Mr Yuvraj said that the temporary works such as beach nourishment are being carried out and so far Rs 7 crore has been spent for it and Rs 7 crore more would be spent by December 2015.
