Rapid sand erosion is eating into Canacona’s coastline
Seashores in Goa are shrinking.And the culprit is sand erosion.
Sand erosion has been eatinginto the long coastline at an alarming proportion in the state. Down South, aroundtwenty per cent of the Canacona coastline has been affected by erosion.
Rapid urbanisation,destruction of mangroves, mowing of trees on the beachfront are some of thevarious reasons leading to soil erosion.
“This has robbed the naturalbeauty of our beaches and the government knows this and needs to step in toarrest this” said local environmentalist Bhanudas Gaonkar.
During monsoons, Canacona hasseen considerable soil erosion at Palolem, Colomb-Patnem, Galgibaga-Tolpona,Rajbhag-Tarir and Agonda beaches, he said adding that quite a few coconut treeswere uprooted due to the loss of soil.
Over the years soil erosion hasintensified to a very large extent, resulting in a real threat not only to thecoastline but also to human lives, officials at the disaster management officein Canacona observed.
According to Prahlad Pagi, asocial worker from Rajbhag last year rising seawater and soil erosion damaged alarge part Rajbhag-Tarir beach. “The sea had washed away a large part of thebeach and also destroyed local and casuarina trees,” he said.
He further disclosed that soilerosion had an adverse effect on the number of Olive Ridley turtles that cometo lay eggs on the beaches of Galgibhaga and Agonda.
The newly elected Sarpanch ofPoinginium Mahesh Naik said that Galgibhaga beach has been losing its charm dueto illegal sand extraction and cutting of trees. The cutting of casuarinastrees has caused soil erosion which led to the collapse of the retaining wallat Panyefonda-Tolpna beach, he said.
"The authorities are notbothered about soil erosion in the coastal belt,” said Abhay Dhuri from Patnem.He further said that most of the residents in the area live in fear during themonsoons, as huge waves wash away precious land destroying trees andvegetation.
According to Agonda Sarpancharound 28 coconut trees were uprooted at Agonda beach in the last one year, dueto sand erosion because of the waves during the high tide.
Sources at CanaconaMunicipality informed that some years back, a team of the Coastal Protectionand Development Advisory Committee had inspected beaches to determine theextent of soil erosion at Colomb-Patnem, Palolem and other parts of Canaconataluka, but no action was initiated to stop the menace.
The three kilometer stretchat Agonda beach continues to remain vulnerable to sand erosion said local Agondapanch Saplesh Desai.
The protection wall atOverem-Palolem beach at Canacona was also washed away due to huge waves andsand erosion, local Councilor Siamon Rebello informed. The government shouldtake steps to protect the beach from further damage, he said.
