Coastal Erosion in Odisha: Understanding Challenges & Solutions

An estimated 25.6 percent of the Odisha’s sea coast stretching up to 140.7 km are being battered by mighty waves and undergoing erosion.

The Union Government’s Ministry of Earth Sciences reported that 33.6% of India’s coastline is under erosion, 26.8% is growing, and 39.6% is stable.

The Centre has implemented measures to mitigate coastal erosion, including issuing Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications to protect coastal environments and promote sustainable development.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued Coastal Regulation Zone Notifications with a view to conserve and protect the unique environment of coastal stretches and marine areas, besides livelihood security to the fisher communities and other local communities in the coastal areas and to promote sustainable development based on scientific principles taking into account the dangers of natural hazards, sea level rise due to global warming, the Minister said in the written reply.

The Ministry has issued directions to Coastal States and Union Territories for incorporation of Shoreline Management Plan in CZMP. National Centre for Sustainable Coastal Management (NCSCM), an organization under MoEFCC and NCCR is providing technical support to coastal States for implementation of coastal protection measures at vulnerable stretches and also involved in the preparation of Shoreline Management Plans.

Further, MoEFCC has delineated the hazard line for the entire coast of the country. The hazard line is to be used by agencies in Coastal States as a tool for Disaster Management including planning of adaptive and mitigation measures.

The hazard line features in the CZMP of the coastal States and Union territories are approved by the MoEFCC.

The Coastal Protection Projects are planned and executed by respective maritime States and UTs. The Central Government’s role is largely advisory, technical support and catalytic in nature.

These projects are generally funded by States and UTs from their own fund or from multilateral funding or through Central Assistance. In some cases, the Government of India has facilitated multilateral funding to States/ UTs in tackling the coastal erosion, the Union Minister concluded.