PANAJI
Goa’s coastline has officially grown longer. A fresh survey has measured the State’s shoreline at 193 km, up by 33 km from the 160 km recorded in the 1970s.
Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences Jitendra Singh shared the revised figures in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, noting that the change will aid infrastructure planning and disaster preparedness.
The re analysis forms part of a nationwide exercise that reassessed the country’s coastline using modern technology.
The re-analysis was conducted by the National Hydrographic Office with assistance provided by the Survey of India (SoI), the nation's oldest scientific department and national mapping agency.
The work was guided by references from the National Security Council Secretariat, Singh said.
While conducting the re-analysis, officials relied on advanced GIS software and high resolution data of the high tide line to produce more accurate measurements, the minister’s reply said.
The Coastal Protection and Development Advisory Committee has approved the revised coastline lengths for all the States of the country.
Nationally too, India’s shoreline has expanded from 7,516 km to 11,098 km under the new analysis, Singh said.
For Goa, the longer coastline is expected to strengthen planning for ports, infrastructure projects, and tourist zones. Authorities also anticipate improved disaster risk analysis and preparedness against cyclones, floods, and landslides.
Singh emphasized that the revised figures will not affect areas governed by Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) rules.
“The existing CRZ rules will not affect this,” he clarified. CRZ boundaries continue to be determined by the 'high tide line' established by the National Center for Sustainable Coastal Management in Chennai.
The updated measurement marks a significant shift from the earlier survey conducted in the 1970s. With 33 km added to its shoreline, Goa’s coastal identity gains new dimensions, offering both opportunities and responsibilities.
