Maritime states to get 12 crto prevent coastal erosion

KOCHI, JUNE 14: The maritime states, except the Ganga-basin ones, will receive Rs 12-crore Central assistance for protection of critical reaches of coastal area during the Ninth Plan. It is after a gap of six years the Central government is extending financial support to maritime states for coastal erosion prevention activities.

The assistance is to meet the immediate requirements of maritime states till funds are generated from external agencies under a new project. Though the initial proposal was to allot Rs 49 crore as assistance, the Ministry of Water Resources slashed it to Rs 12 crore, citing financial constraints, ministry sources said. Under the present scheme, the 12-km stretch of critically eroded coastal areas of Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Goa, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh will be protected by constructing sea walls, at an estimated cost of Rs 24 crore. The Union government will contribute 50 per cent of the total expenditure incurred by the States.

Kerala, a major beneficiary of the scheme, willreceive Rs 5 crore for protecting the critically eroded 5 km, which will be identified later. Of the 560-km long coastal line along the State, only 350 km is at present protected by sea wall. Studies have revealed that nearly 125 km of sea wall badly needs renovation.

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The Ganga-basin States, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and West Bengal, will get separate funds for coastal protection as they share a common international border with Bangladesh, which has certain disputes with India over the sharing of river water.

The recently reconstituted Coastal Protection And Development Advisory Committee (CPDAC) has prepared a Rs 1,600-crore National Coastal Protection Project (NCCP), based on the proposals received from the States.