PANAJI
The Chennai based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) has commenced a comprehensive bathymetric survey of Goa’s entire coastline and offshore areas up to 20 metres in depth to understand the impact of waves and currents on the shoreline.
Under the National Hydrology Project (NHP), funded by the World Bank, the Water Resources Department has entrusted NIOT to draft an Integrated River Basin and Shoreline Management Plan for the State.
The detailed survey will provide critical data, including bathymetric levels and wave heights, to develop stabilised solutions for long-term coastal protection.
“Final reports from NIOT are awaited, with data-driven recommendations to guide future interventions for long-term coastal stability,” a senior official said.
The official informed that the plan integrates upstream sediment dynamics in the Mandovi and Zuari river basins with coastal processes, addressing sediment supply and long-shore sediment transport. “Key outcomes include shoreline change analysis for 50 years (1970”2024) using high resolution satellite imagery,” official said.
The agency has identified beaches of Ashwem, Coco, and Talpona as priority sites for erosion mitigation and beach restoration and detailed engineering designs have been created for site specific interventions.
“The report is expected to guide long-term erosion mitigation strategies,” officials said.
NIOT under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, develops ocean related technologies from coastal to deep-sea applications. NIOT’s interventions have helped mitigate shoreline change crises in Puducherry, Orissa, etc.
According to the recent study, as reported earlier, in North Goa, low coastal erosion has gradually increased since 1990. Medium erosion, limited during the 1990s, grew notably by 2024. High erosion has been a growing issue since 2010, with once-stable coastlines experiencing a steady annual decline.
South Goa faces more pronounced erosion along 11% of its coastline, compared to 6% in the north. Accretion at 1% is also less significant, with North Goa exhibiting a 2% accretion rate. Despite these challenges, the stable rocky headlands in both regions remain unaffected. Sandy coasts are increasingly dynamic, displaying both erosional and accretional behaviour.
