GPL to spend Rs 27 cr to check beach erosion

Gopalpur Port Limited (GPL), the special purpose vehicle engaged in developing the minor and seasonal port at Gopalpur into an all-weather port, will spend Rs 27 crore to check beach erosion in and around Gopalpur.

The port’s expansion activities had raised concerns of beach erosion which in turn threatened to wipe out the mass nesting site of the famed Olive Ridley turtles on the mouth of the Rushikulya river.

GPL, a consortium of three companies- Noble Group of Hong Kong, New Delhi-based Sara International and Orissa Stevedores Limited, intends to spend Rs 10 crore in the first phase under its CSR (corporate social responsibility) initiative to check beach erosion in the neighbouring villages.

“We have earmarked Rs 27 crore to check beach erosion in our detailed project report (DPR) prepared by the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai”, said MM Maharana, director of GPL. The consortium had lined up an investment of Rs 2,000 crore on the port’s expansion activities.

GPL has already completed its first phase of work. Work on the second phase, to be taken up at an investment of around Rs 950 crore, is to resume soon. After the second phase, the port capacity would reach 40 million tonnes per annum.

GPL planned to construct the protection walls in the adjoining villages to protect them from the fury of the sea. “We propose to protect the villages by adopting the same measures as the Visakhapatnam and Chennai ports”, said Maharana.

The port authorities also planned to revive the fishing jetty which has been defunct for several years. The revival of the fishing jetty to protect the villages from the fury of the sea is one of the demands of the fishermen community.

“We have urged upon the port authorities to take adequate steps to protect the sea-shore villages from massive beach erosion and also to revive the fishing jetty at Arjeepalli for the convenience of the fishermen”, said K Alleya, general secretary of the Orissa Traditional Fish Workers Union. It may be noted that the port project is yet to get the clearance from the Orissa State Costal Zone Management Authority.

The authority, constituted by the Central government to enforce the Coastal Zone Management Plan and monitor the violation of Coastal Zone Regulations (CZR), recently visited the site and their interim report has been submitted to the government.