THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government is considering setting up coastal management information system (CMIS) centres along the Kerala coastline to strengthen search and rescue operations.
An experimental CMIS was set up at Ponnani in Malappuram, Devaneri in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal in Puducherry by the Central Water Commission (CWC) in association with IIT Madras to measure tide, wave, and current characteristics.
Prompted by rising sea mishaps and natural disasters such as Cyclone Ockhi that have inflicted huge losses to the state, the State Police Chief in a letter to V Sundar, professor, Department of Ocean Engineering, IIT-M, has sought the viability of holding an extensive study along the coast of Kerala by setting up CMIS wherever required.
However, a CWC source said CMIS stations are only designed to generate field data on tides, waves, currents, wind, shore and seabed sediments, bathymetry and shoreline changes, important parameters to be considered for planning and development. A system installed at Ponnani has been functional for the last few months and the data collected from the system is being analysed by the expert team at the IIT-M.
“The data collected from the designated sites will be used in coastal planning, and design of coastal protection structures,” said R Thangamani, director, CWC, Kochi.
Sundar said there are four months left for the completion of the data collection, which will be analysed and published. However, sources clarified it will be extremely difficult to implement CMIS along the entire coast, but the vulnerable locations identified in the exercise can be considered for setting up the facility with a broader vision, they said.
While it would be very effective in countering sea erosion, the data generated can also be used by Public Works, Fisheries and Ports Departments while planning and carrying out developmental work. It has been assessed that about 63 per cent of the coastline of Kerala is eroding, as per a shoreline change assessment of Kerala coast, while the 2017 CWC report revealed that about 45.5 per cent of the total Indian coastline is under threat of erosion.