CHENNAI: The Tamil Nadu State Coastal Zone Management Authority (TNSCZMA) has given its nod for the construction of groynes in Kanniyakumari and sent its recommendation to the Union environment ministry for issuing a Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance. This, despite a stay by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on the construction of any hard structure until a comprehensive shoreline protection management plan is prepared and approved.
TNIE has learnt that IIT Madras has prepared a comprehensive shoreline protection management plan and the government has submitted it to Union environment ministry and the NGT for approval.Even before an approval is obtained, however, the Public Works Department (PWD) is pushing for construction of groynes in several coastal stretches of Tamil Nadu, including in Kanniyakumari.
Official documents available with TNIE showed that the Director of Environment Department, who is also the member secretary of TNSCZMA, has placed the Kanniyakumari groyne field project before 115th meeting of TNSCZMA held on April 5, 2022, and the authority decided to recommend the proposal to Union environment ministry with certain conditions.
Accepting TNSCZMA’s recommendations, the State government forwarded the proposal to construct a groynes field at Melmidalam in Karungai village in Kanniyakumari to the chairman of National Coastal Zone Management Authority of the Union environment ministry for clearance under CRZ Notification, 2011.
“Recently, a special bench of the NGT approved a report from the National Institute of Ocean Technology recommending the preparation of a shoreline management plan, which should be environmentally compatible.“So, the government has directed us to prepare a perspective plan that explores green solutions. For Kanniyakumari groyne field project, an environmental impact assessment will be conducted,” a PWD official said.
As per projects documents, the PWD proposes to construct three groynes, measuring 99m to 105m in length with a spacing of 250m, under phase-1 of the project. The shoreline changes due to the construction of proposed groynes would be monitored. If erosion was observed adjacent to the groynes, either a seawall or transition groynes would be constructed in phase-2.PWD officials said Kanniyakumari was facing severe sea erosion owing to very rough sea during the monsoon and the shortfall of littoral sediments from Kerala side, damaging houses and boats of fisherfolk.
Study on structures
Minutes of 115th meeting of TNSCZMA said the anti-sea erosion division of the PWD was asked to conduct a study on the structures used by other states/countries to curb sea erosion and to prepare a five-year perspective plan. It should contain details of areas undergoing erosion and probable solutions, including green structures. Groynes are perpendicular structures made of stone extending into the ocean. They are intended to break the wave energy and curb sea erosion. But often construction of groynes shifts the problem from one place to another