The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Marina saved Chennai from going the Velankanni way

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Marina saved Chennai from going the Velankanni way

By T. Ramakrishnan

CHENNAI, DEC. 30. But for the Marina and the Cooum, Chennai might have met the fate of Velankanni, coastal town in Nagapattinam district where a large number of people died in Sunday's tsunami, say oceanography experts.

As the Marina has developed 1,200 metres over the years, it served as a buffer, protecting densely populated areas such as Triplicane and Chepauk, according to S. Ramachandran, Director of the Institute for Ocean Management, Anna University.

In contrast, Foreshore Estate was the worst affected, as the terrain was flat and had no protection. Moreover, numerous people were living close to the coast, say within 25-30 metres, till the tsunami struck. Wherever there was an elevation, land escaped the fury of the nature. This explained why housing colonies of Srinivasapuram at Kottivakkam did not suffer damage despite their proximity to the coast, says Dr. Ramachandran.

Originally, the city had a beach only in the northern part, in front of the Chennai General Post Office. But, as the Chennai port expanded northwards, the development of beach took place on the southern side. This led to the formation of a sandbar at the mouth of the Cooum, reducing the river to a cesspool of stagnant water and creating environmental problems. A section of environmentalists has been blaming the Chennai Port Trust authorities for this.

``As the Cooum river mouth provided an opening, it facilitated siphoning of the surge of the waves to certain extent. In the process, it protected the Naval base and lessened the damage to the Chennai port,'' says V. Meenakshisundaram, who served as the Chief Engineer of the Chennai Port Trust during 1992-98.

Groynes did their bit

Echoing the view, V. Sundar, Professor and Head of Ocean Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, says that the Royapuram-Thiruvottriyur belt, which has been witnessing coastal erosion for decades, did not suffer much as groynes are being constructed. As many as 10 groynes have been proposed along this belt, of which four have been completed. ``The construction of the groynes has led to the formation of smaller beaches in and around them. Though the full benefits of the groynes will be realised later, the fact that they ensured virtually nil damage in these areas is a sign of their success,'' he says.

Groynes of 165-300 metre length are being built at a cost of Rs. 26 crores under a programme funded by the National Highways Authority of India and executed by the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company. The IIT-Madras and the Institute of Hydraulics and Hydrology of the State Public Works Department provide technical advice, says a TNRDC spokesman.

CRZ norms

Experts suggest that the norms of the Coastal Regulation Zone be implemented in letter and spirit. The prescription that there should be no construction activity within 500 metres of high tide line should be followed.

Mr. Meenakshisundaram says lessons could be drawn from the experiences of the beach control authorities in Florida, United States, which have been entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the coastal resources.

Dr. Ramachandran emphasises that there has to be effective coordination among different agencies in times of crisis.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu

News Update

Stories in this Section

Marina saved Chennai from going the Velankanni way

Residents flee home

`Implement Disabilities Act'

Hand over relief materials to Corporation: Nataraj

Cash, jewellery stolen

Around the City

In Chennai Today