NAGAPATTINAM: In the wake of frequent coastal erosion, Environment Minister Siva V Meyyanathan laid the foundation stone for short groynes on the shores of Nambiyar Nagar in the district on Sunday.
District Collector A Arun Thamburaj, Tamil Nadu Fisheries Development Corporation Chairman N Gowthaman, and Nagapattinam MLA J Mohamed Shanavas were among those present. The groynes are being set up at a cost of `10 crore, with National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) providing the funds.
Coastal erosion in the village has been on the rise in the past few years, especially after the start of the construction of the mini harbour in December 2020.
A fisheries department official said, “Coastal erosion, especially towards the northern side, during or after construction of the breakwater structures, has become common. We are setting up four units of short groynes on the northern side of the north breakwater to contain the erosion. Each of them will be perpendicular to the coastline. We will set them up in 18 months.”
A couple of breakwater structures are being set up on the north and south of the mini harbour. A breakwater is a wall-like structure to protect the land structures of the harbour from the force of the sea waves. Nambiyar Nagar’s breakwater structures are 237 metres and 220 metres in length respectively. The shore stretch about 600 metres towards the backside of the north backwater structure has eroded considerably and the local fishers have reported that the waves are sweeping into their huts.
They have requested the government to take measures to arrest the coastal erosion in the village. An expert team from IIT Madras visited the village, inspected the erosion and advised the fisheries department to instal short groynes on the north side of the north breakwater structure to arrest the erosion.
The engineering section reportedly proposed a detailed project report to the directorate. The short groyne adjacent to the breakwater structure is 125 metres, and the other three are 100 metres each. They are made
of layers of boulders. They are four metres above and below the water's surface level, and each of them are separated from one another by 150 metres. Minister Meyyanathan also laid the foundation stone for the ADM Women’s College road construction and for Thamarai Kulam pond development.