NELLORE: According to a survey by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), 19% of the coastline in Visakhapatnam district is vulnerable to erosion, 43% is accretion (growing) while the remaining 38% is in a stable condition, Minister of Earth Sciences Kiren Rijiju said in response to a query raised by YSRC MP Vemireddy Prabhakar Reddy in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.
The NCCR is an office attached to the Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES).
Prabhakar Reddy sought to know the manner in which the Union government looks at the nearly 30% erosion of the coastline in Vizag, as per experts. He asked about the measures the Centre plans on taking for continuous nourishment of beaches in the country, particularly for beaches in AP.
He also wanted the government to respond to the experts’ view that if adequate precautions are not taken, RK Beach in Vizag could be like Marine Drive of Mumbai after 50 years.
Rijiju said 19% of the coastline in Visakhapatnam district and 22% coast of Vizag city was vulnerable to erosion.
“Technical support has been extended to coastal States, including AP, for designing coastal protection measures at vulnerable stretches and preparing Shoreline Management Plan. Beach nourishment with sand dredged from the ports of Vizag and Gangavaram should be continued to avoid further erosion at RK Beach. A comprehensive shore protection plan should be drawn to protect the coast,” the Minister said.