the goan I network
VASCO
The Goenchea Raponkarancho Ekvott (GRE) on Tuesday strongly opposed moves by the Water Resources Department (WRD) to use tetrapods to arrest beach erosion.
Speaking to reporters, the GRE representatives said the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) had stated in a report that India had lost 33% of its coastline, with Goa losing 20% of its coastline, over the past 26 years.
GRE claimed that the most affected beaches in Goa are Anjuna, Keri-Tiracol and Morjim in North Goa and Agonda, Betalbatim, Majorda, Arossim beach, Agonda beach, Khariwado and Velsao in South Goa.
“The WRD should take up this issue on priority and constitute a committee of scientists to ascertain reasons for sand erosion and to find measures to arrest further erosion,” said GRE President Agnelo Rodrigues.
GRE General Secretary Olencio Simoes said the use of tetrapods would only accelerate beach erosion by disturbing the natural processes that shape the coastal environment.
“The wave action on tetrapods pulls the sand away from the shore faster than what happens in the natural process and this will amplify the erosion and will completely eliminate our sandy beaches like already proven in Chennai, Kerela and Pondicherry, where almost entire coastline has been eroded,” said Simoes.
“The WRD should visit Pondicherry as they have managed to restore their lost beach. The job of restoring the beach was given to Chennai-based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), an autonomous body under the Ministry of Earth Sciences, which had tied up with Singapore-based Sanctuary Beach, a firm with international expertise in beach restoration work. The same could be executed to restore/stop our fast eroding
beaches,” said Simoes.
