390 cr to curb beach erosion
The government started its exercise to prevent the beach erosion in the city. The beach has been eroding for the past three years and the issue has become a challenge to the government.
Visakhapatnam: The government started its exercise to prevent the beach erosion in the city. The beach has been eroding for the past three years and the issue has become a challenge to the government.
Therefore, to take up preventive measures and attract more number of foreign tourists, the gover nment has taken up a mega project at a cost of Rs 390 crore. The World Bank has accepted to fund the project. The government selected two world reputed consultancies to prepare detailed project reports.
The DPR for beach erosion project will be taken up by Deltares Company, Netherlands, and DPR for beach development works will be prepared by INS Design Studio of Ahmedabad. The government endorsed both the works of both the companies. The government also appointed a Technical Committee as VPT Chairman of MT Krishna Babu as Chairman.
The first meeting of the committee was held here on Tuesday. Addressing the meeting, Krishna Babu appealed the consultancies to find out the reasons of beach erosion. Climate changes, port operations, industries impact and other reasons should be studied well to prepare a document to arrest the beach erosion. Though the government has given 20 months’ time, the consultancy should complete the work in 12 months, Krishna Babu said. He also appealed the experts to study about the impact of the Hinduja and NTPC industries on the beach erosion.
Talking about the beach development project to be taken up at a cost of Rs 240 crore, the Chairman asked the Design Studio to complete their work within nine months. In the first phase of beach development, the works would be taken up from Coastal Battery to Rushikonda and in the second phase it would be extended to Bheemili, Krishna Babu said.
Collector Pravin Kumar said that the National Institute of Oceanography (NIO) already submitted a report on the beach erosion and the consultancies should observe the reports and prepare an integrated report. Later, the representatives from the both the companies explained about their activities.
