IIT-Madras team to examine high tide impact on Puri sea beach

With the surging sea waves gradually eating into the Puri beach near Swarga Dwar, the Odisha government today said a technical team from IIT-Madras will soon examine the impact of high tide on the beach.
"A master plan is being prepared to fill the eroded portions with sand. A technical team from IIT Madras will soon arrive in Puri. Based on its recommendations, steps will be taken," water resource secretary P K Jena told reporters here.
Jena said the sea waves have ingressed into the coast at three places across the coast recently.
On Puri beach erosion situation, Jena said "Immediate steps have been taken to tackle the situation in Puri. Two senior engineers have already inspected the beach near Swarga Dwar."

A team of experts from the water resources department yesterday visited the site at Swarga Dwar where the high tide ingressed about 100 meters in the coast. The spot has been red flagged by the administration restricting the entry of tourists, said a district official.
The district administration has, in the mean time, deployed life guards in the beach to keep a watch on people roaming close to the sea after the IMD cautioned that the sea wave height might increase upto three to four metres along Odisha coast due to a deep depression over Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal.

The IMD also said the sea condition would be rough to very rough along the Odisha coast.

"Red flags have been put up at the sensitive areas by life guards. Tourists are advised not to take bath near the Swarga Dwar spot," a district official said.
Meanwhile, Puri Collector Aravind Agarwal met Chief Secretary A P Padhi and apprised him on the situation due to beach erosion near Swarga Dwar, the Hindu crematorium, in the last few days.
The surging sea waves in the last two days have swept away about 100-metre stretch of the beach near Swarga Dwar posing a threat for complete erosion of the narrow sand bed there.

Meanwhile, about 100 makeshift shops in the beach have already shifted their establishments to other places as the sea has washed away the sand bed.
Jagannath Bastia, a member of the Puri-based coastal protection body, recalled similar beach erosion due to high tides at Baliapanda on the Puri sea beach in 2007.