CHENNAI: In a blatant violation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules, a mini seawall has been built by owners of beach-facing luxury bungalows at Muttukadu after waves breached compound walls due to massive sea erosion.
Huge rocks are being dumped on the coast to build a 200-metre-long barrier to stop the high tidal waves from entering houses. These luxury bungalows were built a few years ago on the seashore alongside the East Coast Road (ECR) at Muttukadu panchayat limits. They were built as close as 20-30 metres to the shore, a violation of CRZ rules. Mahabalipuram (Mamallapuram) Local Planning Authority locked and sealed the property for violating CRZ norms some time back.
Due to increasing sea erosion, some bungalows developed cracks and began caving in. A bungalow has already been reduced to debris and the compound wall of a few other houses have collapsed. To arrest further damage, the owners have built the seawall without informing authorities. On Tuesday Express found a one-storey high seawall had been raised to protect private property. This has proved counter-productive for fishermen of Karikattukuppam village, on the northern side of the seawall. Boat parking and fish landing areas of fishermen are being eroded.
The fisherfolk of Karikattukuppam village near the beach-facing luxury bungalows in Muttukadu charge that the seawall is causing more sea erosion. “Post 2004-Tsunami, our village which was close to the sea was moved 3km away by officials on safety grounds. How can officials permit construction of bungalows right up to the shore? The fishermen, who raised their voices in the past, were bullied. False cases were clamped on them and they were arrested because of which the campaign lost steam. This seawall is now eroding our boat landing area,” Murugan, a fishermen leader from Karikattukuppam, told Express.
Muttukadu is ecologically very dynamic due to the presence of brackish water lagoon, that is maintained by the Central Institute of Brackishwater Aquaculture, which runs an experimental station in the area. The area where the bungalows were constructed fall in survey number 114 and spread across 32 acres within a no development zone as per CRZ norms. The location has Muttukadu lagoon on one side and the sea on the other, making it seem like an island. Due to sea erosion, the entire island is getting eroded. In the last one year, about 400 metres of sandy beach has vanished.
Vasanth, another fisherman, said the construction of the seawall has escalated the erosion. He claimed that several boats were damaged during high tide after crashing into the seawall.
“About nine boats suffered irreparable damage. People can die if the boat capsizes close to the seawall. We have complained to the Collector, revenue divisional officer and tahsildar, but no action has been taken,” he said.
When contacted, Revenue Divisional Officer Muthuvadivel told Express, “I have been apprised about the illegality by the local fishermen. The seawall has been built by owners without obtaining permission. The Coastal Security Group was not informed. I have asked the tahsildar to do a field inspection and submit a report. Necessary action will be initiated,” he said.
Official land records accessed by Express show that several high-profile individuals own property along this stretch. Names of popular film actors, an actor-turned-politician and several production houses feature in the records. Express is not naming them as all of them could not be reached for comment. It is alleged that some high-profile residents of Chennai own benami property in the area.
Genesis of the problem
Sea erosion at Muttukadu is a result of an ill-conceived, unauthorised coastal engineering project undertaken by the State fisheries department, to construct a ‘groyne field’ in 2016. After Express, in April 2016, reported how the work had commenced without conducting of the environment impact assessment study or obtaining of environment clearance from the State and Centre -- both mandatory -- the Southern bench of the National Green Tribunal had stayed the project. It also directed the fisheries department to immediately remove the groyne field and restore the coast to its original shape. However, the order was ignored and five groynes of different length were built.
Experts say this has changed the geodynamics and natural sediment movement, which accelerated sea erosion from a natural phenomenon to a rapidly unfolding man-made disaster that has so far affected about 3km of beach on the northern side of the groynes towards Chennai.