The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Groynes help to reclaim land along Royapuram-Tiruvottiyur coastal belt

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jun 16, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Groynes help to reclaim land along Royapuram-Tiruvottiyur coastal belt

T. Ramakrishnan

Construction, expansion of harbour blamed for sea erosion Construction, expansion of harbour blamed for sea erosion

KEEPING THE SEA AT BAY: Groynes laid along Royapuram beach to help control the sea erosion have helped to reclaim land in this coastal belt of north Chennai. — Photo: S. Thanthoni

CHENNAI: Contrary to the usual feature of loss of land, the Royapuram-Tiruvottiyur coastal belt in north Chennai is witnessing reclamation, thanks to groynes put up in the area.

About 13 acres of land has been reclaimed, says an official of the Tamil Nadu Road Development Company (TNRDC), which, along with the National Highways Authority of India, is executing a project to upgrade the Ennore Expressway. A few other roads are also to be covered under the scheme, taken up for improving connectivity between the Chennai harbour and the Ennore port.

The reclamation has happened after the TNRDC began coastal protection works a year ago. Eight groynes have been put up. Work on the ninth one is on.

"We plan to complete this component of the project by the end of December. The cost comes to Rs. 25 crores," says the TNRDC official.

Over the period, at least 150 acres will be reclaimed with the formation of a "wonderful beach," he hopes.

The groynes, put up over four km, vary in length from 165-300 metres. Their height is four metres above the mean sea level. The TNRDC employed the services of experts in ocean engineering for groyne construction. V. Sundar, professor and head of ocean engineering department, Indian Institute of Technology-Madras, is the designer.

Though the work was awarded to a contractor in May 2003, it could begin only after environmental clearance was obtained. The authorities asked the contractor to complete the spadework in the meantime. "We received the approval on June 8, 2004. The next day, the work began," the official notes.

History of erosion

Regarded as the hub of industrial activity of the city, the Ennore Expressway had been shrinking in the last three decades, relentlessly beaten by the sea. Nearly 350 acres of land was lost.

Hundreds of homes, places of worship and panchayat roads disappeared. The cause cited for sea erosion off North Chennai was the construction and expansion of the Chennai harbour and fishing harbour. This forced the north-bound currents to curve, eating away the coastal stretches.

Efforts were made in the past to solve erosion problem. While a three-member experts committee appointed by the State Government recommended construction a rubble-mound sea wall in 1990, some others suggested groynes or off-shore breakwater.

When the Ennore Port construction began around 1996-97, a section of experts suggested that the new harbour be located south of the Ennore creek, as this would result in sand accretion along the affected stretch. Even the Netherlands Government came forward to provide a soft loan to the State Government for putting up groynes. Yet, no concrete solution could be found.

In the last 10 years, the State Government has spent several crores for forming rubble-mound sea walls as an emergency measure when and where erosion was acute.

About five years ago, the TNRDC got involved in formulating a project for the Ennore Expressway.

Subsequently, the NHAI evinced interest in participating in a scheme, essentially to facilitate port connectivity, and this was one of the mandates of the Authority.

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

Tamil Nadu