The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Construction of geo-tube wall at Uppada to be delayed

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Tuesday, Nov 25, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Construction of geo-tube wall at Uppada to be delayed

Staff Reporter

Pune-based CWPRS yet to give the green signal

The wall has been proposed to construct in three villages which are prone to erosion
It can withstand waves rising up to five meters

Kakinada: The geo-tube wall planned to be constructed at Uppada and adjoining villages for coastal protection is likely to take at least six months more for completion as the Pune-based Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS) which was appointed the technical consultant, is yet to give the final nod for the proposed design. While the CWPRS is preoccupied with major project works in some other States, a perceptible change in the course of tidal waves which have been devouring the coastal landscape here for several decades, necessitated a fresh survey of the required alignment, thus delaying the project further.

Fresh survey

A team of the CWPRS that visited the affected villages last month, asked the district officials to submit a detailed survey report, which is set to be completed in a couple of days. Depending on this report, the CWPRS will give the green signal for construction of the wall which takes minimum three months for completion, according to Irrigation (Drains) Executive Engineer P. Madhava Rao. Mr. Rao told The Hindu that the direction of tidal waves was found to have changed to some extent compared to the period when the geo-tube technology was first proposed by Kakinada MP M. M. Pallam Raju.

The geo-tube wall comprises high tensile bags made of geo-textile materials (like polypropylene) and they are covered by polymer gabions (structures like cages and cylinders) which bear the brunt of erosion. The coast will however remain intact.

It has been proposed to construct wall for a 2-km stretch along three coastal villages: Uppada, Subbammapeta and Ameenabad before expanding it to other villages prone to erosion, at an estimated cost of Rs. 12.16 crore. The geo-tubes which are filled with sand slurry, were being successfully utilised to mitigate coastal erosion in West Bengal and Kerala under the supervision of CWPRS.

The geo-tube wall was so designed that it can withstand waves rising up to five meters.

Though the geo-tube wall offers best protection, coastal communities have been advised to move farther from the coast which is bound to be ceaselessly pounded by the tidal waves which would become more powerful year after year .

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