BENGALURU: The latest study by the Survey of India (SoI) and the National Hydrographic Office (NHO), using accurate satellite imagery data, has revealed that the total length of India’s coastline is 11,098.81 km and not 7,516.60 as what a manual survey conducted in 1970 showed. It also showed that Karnataka’s coast extends to 343.30 km as against 320 km.
The report is based on the assessment done using satellite data to the scale of 1:2,50,000 with the help of the National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), and taking into account 1,389 islands that were added to the list before the latest survey was conducted.
The latest survey, and the next planned coastal zonal integrated project, which will better assess areas using more sophisticated technologies, are expected to help in understanding the land available to take up infrastructure projects such as roads, ports and green corridors and boost tourism with the added islands and areas tapped for higher revenues.
Upkar Pathak, Technical Secretary, Survey of India (SOI), said, “The state, central and international boundaries are defined and set. They have been reiterated and redefined using accurate satellite images and measurement methods. The length also altered with the addition of 1,389 islands/islets to the list, which were not included when the survey was done in 1970 to define the coastal boundaries of all Indian states and Union territories.”
SoI officials said that re-calculated coastline lengths have been arrived at after the lengths and shapes of the river mouths (estuaries) were included in the latest assessment. It also included the curves and zig-zags of the coastlines, which were not taken into account during the 1970 survey.
K’taka’s coastline length now stands at 343.3 km
When the exercise was last done in 1970, the fragmented/uneven boundaries were not accurately assessed. Now the landscape has been reassessed based on the sea levels using geo-coordinates and satellite technologies.
With this, Karnataka’s coastline has not just increased to 343.30 km, but has also added 86 offshore and 12 onshore islands along with 12 islets, providing the added potential for tourism.
The officials said in 2009 and 2010, a survey was conducted and a report, “Length of Coastline of India”, was released. It revealed that the length of India’s coastline was 11,084.50 km. But subsequently, several deviations were noted and another survey was undertaken in 2023 involving multiple stakeholders, including the Union and state governments, Indian Coast Guard, Ministry of Home Affairs, Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Ministry of Jal Shakti, NHO, NRSC and SoI. These stakeholders re-surveyed and re-verified the Indian coastline to be 11,098.81 km.
Another official said, “There are many islands, which have not been accounted for. They are being evaluated and documented. Once they are included in the list, the total coastal area will change again. Further, the SoI is working on undertaking the national geospatial survey of inhabited and un-inhabited areas (forests and wastelands). This will help understand land availability to take up infrastructure projects.”
