The government is slowly waking up for the sea erosion and its impact on the life of coastal population at large considering the number of people living in coastal areas ranging from east, south and west. Though gradual but continuous Sea degradation has affected coastline at many areas in the country in varying magnitude and hence regarded as a long term coastal hazard.
The Union and state governments are now planning to conduct a series of anti-erosion work with the centrally sponsored scheme “Critical Anti-Erosion Works in Coastal and other than Ganga Basin States,” which is under consideration. The ministry has also formulated a National Coastal Protection Project to arrange external funding for protection of coastal areas of Maritime States/UTs.
As per a recent government release several other steps are taken to control coastal erosion, which are as follows:
• Central Government has issued the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991 under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate all development activities in the CRZ area for protection of the coastal environment.
• The ecological damages that have taken place due to the recent tsunami have been got assessed by the Ministry of Environment & Forests through nine scientific institutions. The concerned State Governments and Union Territories have taken up the control measures which include mangrove afforestation and development of bio shields.
• Under the Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPA) Programme of Department of Ocean Development, the quality of sea water is regularly monitored at 72 earmarked Stations along the coastline.
• Schemes have been launched by Coastal Erosion Directorate, Ministry of Water Resources to take up measures for protection of coastal areas of maritime States/Union Territories.
Coastal Erosion
Coastal erosion or Sea erosion is the wearing away of land by the action of natural forces like wind, waves and currents that constantly moves land materials i.e. the landward displacement of shoreline causing the loss of a huge land mass. Coastal degradation not only threatens the environmental well being of shorelines but it also endangers the economic welfare and public safety of the coastal communities.
Hurricanes and other coastal storms causes enormous damage and with global warming it are unlikely to access the level of impact on human life but for apparent it would be far in the future. Unfortunately, the Ministry of Environment in the past had not given much importance to such a greatest risk.
In comparison to some European countries, the Minister of Environment generally invest very little in this regard and earlier it was only up to the State and UT administration to invest and monitor on anti-erosion policy. Apart from addressing some man-induced causes, the government needs to give some immediate attention with more funding there needs a better monitoring committee for effective implementation of coastal management and other programmes.
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