1 km coastal stretch in North Chennai vanishes, Chennai-Ennore Port Connectivity road under threat

C Shivakumar

Chennai:

The North Chennai shoreline has recessed by about 1,000 metres in the last 125 years and if efforts are not taken soon the Chennai-Ennore port connectivity road (formerly EMRIP) could face the threat of being washed away due to coastal erosion.

Prof V Sundar, department of Ocean Engineering of IIT Madras, who has submitted a report to Public Works Department on ‘Protection Measures for Tamil Nadu’ says the East Coast is vulnerable to cyclones and preventive measures should be taken up immediately.

He said that although state government is taking up various coastal protection projects across Tamil Nadu more work has to be done on the North Chennai coast.

The Public Works Department should take up the work of immediately constructing a groyne field  between Masthan Koil Kuppam to Popular Weigh Bridge which is vulnerable to erosion. The expressway, industries and fishing hamlets are located along this stretch.

Interestingly, the 15km stretch from Ennore towards its south upto Royapuram, which comprises of fishing hamlets and protected by a seawall and combination of seawall and groins is vulnerable to erosion.

Meanwhile, Public Works Department sources told Express that they have taken up work in Palam Kuppam, Netkuppam and Ernavur Kuppam. These works have been taken up on October 18 to stop coastal erosion.

A report on use of satellite data for detection of violation of land use along the Coastal Regulation Zone and Impact of Port Structures on Shoreline changes by Indian National Centre for Ocean Information Services (INCOIS) and Ministry of Earth Sciences which has been submitted to Union Ministry of Environment and Forest states that the three ports – Chennai Port, Ennore and Katpuli has affected the shoreline resulting in coastal erosion.

The report states that the shoreline around the Ennore port, which was monitored since 1999 to 2006 regularly, underwent massive erosion ace in 1.5km stretch, north coast of Ennore port and the erosion rate was of 50 metre per year. The Public Works Department based on the continuous monitoring of the levels of the crest of berm have found that the stretch of the coast north of Chennai harbour being eroded at an average rate of about 6.5 metre per year.

National Institute of Ocean Technology director M A Atmanand said that the construction of breakwaters in Ennore and Katpulli has arrested the movement of longshore sediment transport resulting accretion in south Chennai and erosion in north Chennai. He also said that this would make the north Chennai coast vulnerable to cyclones.

Interestingly, the INCOIS report states that in order to prevent erosion in north coast, a submerged reef with sand bypassing is suggested for protection of Ennore Coast since it not only reduces the wave energy but also provides wave rotation which reduces wave energy upto 20 to 40 per cent near coast there by helps in accumulation of sediments due to reduction in wave intensity.

Meanwhile, with a temple and few houses being gobbled up by the sea in the last decade, the issue is also turning out to be a social one. Fishermen in the North Chennai Coast are opposing the government move to relocate them along the coast. Kosu Mani, president of Tamil Nadu Meenavar Makkal Sangam says that if the government force fishermen away from the coast, it would affect their livelihood. “We can’t leave the sea as it is our traditional source of livelihood,” he adds.

Interestingly, a long-term analysis of wave climate and coastal profile has revealed that if no intervention is planned, northern areas of port will have erosion at a rate of 20 metres per year.