VIJAYAWADA: In a major initiative to tackle severe sea erosion along the Uppada coast in Kakinada district’s Pithapuram constituency, the government on Wednesday signed an MoU with IIT‑Madras in the presence of Deputy CM Pawan Kalyan.
The agreement, finalised at the Deputy CM’s camp office in Mangalagiri, entrusts IIT‑Madras with designing, preparing the Detailed Project Report (DPR) and providing technical supervision for a Rs 323‑crore coastal protection wall.
Approved under the Central Government’s National Disaster Management Fund (NDMF), the project will be implemented by the State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) as the nodal agency, with the Andhra Pradesh Maritime Board serving as the executive agency.
Experts from IIT‑Madras will conduct scientific studies on wave impact, ocean currents and erosion severity to engineer a tailored structural defence.
Groundwork is expected to begin in November, with officials stressing the project’s importance in safeguarding fishing villages.
The signing ceremony was attended by officials including Kakinada district Collector MN Harendhira Prasad, and IIT‑Madras Professor SA Sannasiraj.