PANJIM, JULY 10
The Water Resources Department has submitted the names of 20 beaches to the Central Water and Power Research Centre for conducting a study to arrest seashore erosion, which has hit over 20-25 km of Goa’s coastline.
Sources in the Water Resource Department informed that the department has reported several beaches, including Anjuna, Candolim, Harmal, Keri, Betalbatim, Kanaguinim, Talpona, Galgibag, Utorda among others, to the Centre which is the research and development unit of the Union Ministry of Water Resources.
The CWPRC would carry out modelling study of the current of the waves, wave height and beach profile, based on which it would make suggestions on protecting the beaches.
After the Centre submits its report, the Department prepares estimates and sends it to the government for approval, the sources said.
The Centre has been briefed about erosion-prone beaches in the State, the sources informed adding that over 20 km of the State’s 105-km coastline has been badly affected by the erosion over the years.
The sources said the department has sent a couple of estimates to the government while some of the suggestions are at various stages of execution.
The WRD has also moved a proposal to erect gabions at the Batalbatim beach to arrest the sand erosion, informed the sources adding that so far the department has erected the gabions on a stretch of 800 metres.
The sources observed that the current situation of beach erosion could have been avoided had the government taken cognizance of a report by a team of the coastal protection and development advisory committee which had inspected erosion-prone areas at various parts in Canacona taluka and other places.
The panel had observed that though the erosion was not critically damaging, the coastline could be protected by constructing a rubble mound seawall, which would have prevented the coastline from getting eroded, the sources observed.
The sources admitted that the government had ignored the report, however is now trying to prevent further beach erosion. The State government has approached the Union Ministry for Water Resources for financial help.
A technical committee has also been constituted to study the beaches in the State to find out the extent of damage to the coastline due to sea erosion.
The State government had earlier approached the CWPRC through the coastal division of the Union Ministry of Water Resources, which had sought assistance from the Asian Development Bank for the anti-sea erosion project.
Most of the coastal erosion is a manmade phenomenon due to unscrupulous planning, destruction of the sand dunes and other factors, the sources said.
