10 cyclones in 12 years, 16 submerged villages- Odisha’s coastline is eroding faster than ever

The state of Odisha has been battered with several cyclones, rising sea level leading to submergence of villages and other natural disasters which also originated from climate change. 

The depleting coastline of Odisha is an example of the monstrous impact causing ecological imbalance in the state replete with minerals. 

16 villages submerged, 10 cyclones faced in past 12 years- official data by the Odisha Government has said that out of about 480 km of Odisha coast line, 267 km has witnessed sea erosion or accretion.

The Odisha Space Applications Centre (ORSAC) has conducted a DGPS survey based on 2006-2018 satellite image on coastal areas spreading over 3,555 sq.km. The survey found that 2,489 hectare of land in the six coastal districts faced erosion while there was accretion in 1,582 hectare of land in the shoreline.

Odisha has six coastal districts -- Balasore, Bhadrak, Ganjam, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara and Puri. These districts have faced catastrophic natural disasters in the form of cyclones and its after in the past decade. 

In total, 4,069 hectares of land in the Odisha shoreline faced either accretion or erosion during the period. Highest 1,058 hectare land in Kendrapara district witnessed accretion and erosion, followed by Balasore district (920 ha), Jagatsinghpur (679 ha), Bhadrak (543 ha), Puri (540 ha) and Ganjam (327 ha), reveals data. 

The Odisha government has prepared a shoreline management plan for the Integrated Coastal Zone Management project.

As per the plan, Satabhaya area of Kendrapara district, Talasahi, Udayapur, the northern side of Budhabalanga in Balasore, Paradip port area of Jagatsinghpur, the bank of Jamuna, the beach areas of Puri, and the northern part of Gopalpur port, the north of Bahuda river in Ganjam have either witnessed coastal erosion or there is a possibility.

In a recent statement to the Odisha Assembly, the state Forest, Environment and Climate Change Minister, Pradip Amat, said the state government has constructed a geo-textile wall along 505 metre of the shoreline near Pentha beach of Kendrapara.

The Odisha government has taken up the creation of new forests using scientific methods, tried to reduce the usage of water in agriculture and brought changes in building construction codes

‘Coastal erosion cannot be tackled unless you take care of rivers and mangrove plantations’ suggests expert environmentalists.