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Coastal Protection
Kerala Fisheries Minister Saji Cherian on Saturday claimed that the central government has not given a single rupee for protecting the 600-km long coastal area of the state from getting flooded by sea water during the rainy season. According to Cherian, the Centre was requested to provide funds for coastal region protection, "but not a single rupee was given". Despite the lack of aid from the Centre, the Left government has implemented the most number of welfare projects for the people of the coastal region. He was speaking with reference to the recent protests in Chellanam here over coastal erosion and flooding of homes in the area by sea water. He also said the state government was carrying out work for protection of the coastline at various places, including Chellanam here and Chethy in Alappuzha district, but availability of raw materials, like rocks, is a problem. "So, we shifted to tetrapods from rocks. Now we are exploring the possibility of using geotubes and if it can be
The uptake of permeable pavements could enhance stormwater drainage capacity, reducing surface runoff and mitigate flood risks, according to a new report by the Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP). The report titled "Urban Greenprints: A Nature-based Solutions Feasibility Framework for Urban Coastal Regions" by the Bengaluru-based think-tank has called for a paradigm shift in how India's coastal cities approach urban planning and climate resilience. Focusing on Chennai and Mangaluru in Karnataka, the report makes a compelling case for integrating Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in urban planning to address the escalating challenges of flooding, environmental degradation, and climate-induced vulnerabilities. "Both cities have witnessed a sharp decline in green cover and increased encroachments on natural water bodies. These changes, compounded by extreme weather events, have exposed the limitations of conventional grey infrastructure such as stormwater drains and
The government will provide one-time financial support for setting up recycling plants for abandoned fishing gear and plastic waste in coastal areas, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav said on Saturday. He announced guidelines for "One-Time Financial Support for Establishing Recycling Plants" while taking part in a beach clean-up drive at Juhu in Mumbai. According to a note prepared by the ministry, the focus is on establishing fishing gear/net and marine plastic waste recycling facilities in the 12 Blue Flag-certified beaches -- which meet global environmental, educational, safety standards -- in the country. One-time financial support will be given to set up 25 recycling units -- 13 for nylon fishing gear and 12 for plastic waste -- near Blue Flag beaches, the ministry said. New recycling units for plastic waste and fishing gear/nets are eligible if they have a valid permit, are located outside the Coastal Regulation Zone, and meet local regulations, it said. Preference
Union Ministers Parshotham Rupala and L Murugan on Saturday took part in various events in Thrissur and Kochi as part of the seventh phase of Central government initiative 'Sagar Parikrama' programme and interacted with the people of the coastal region. They also received petitions from those working in the fisheries sector. The Union Ministers also attended and addressed the 'Sagar Parikrama'- 'Theera Sadas' programme at Thriprayar. Union Fisheries Department, Officer on Special Duty, Abhilaksh Likhi, said the Government of India was committed to the welfare and development of small fishermen in Kerala under the Pradhan Mantri Matsya Sampada Yojana (PMMSY). The PMMSY scheme by the Ministry of Fisheries was launched to bring about ecologically healthy, economically viable, and socially inclusive development of the fisheries sector in India. Likhi said that the Centre was ensuring that the livelihood of the fishers was protected and all necessary steps would be taken for addressing
Aimed at protecting the sea and marine ecosystems, the Indira Gandhi Zoological Park, Visakhapatnam (Vizag Zoo) has called for volunteers to undertake coastal clean up on World Ocean Day. Scheduled at 6 am on Thursday at the beach road gate of the zoo, the coast cleaning activity is also aimed at raising awareness about oceans and marine ecosystems. "Coastal cleanups are essential to prevent further pollution and protect marine life that inhabits our oceans," said Nandani Salaria, curator of Vizag Zoo in a press note shared on Tuesday. As a token of appreciation, all the volunteers will be conferred with a certificate of participation for their contribution. Extending an invitation to all, Salaria called on the public to make a positive impact on World Ocean Day. Interested volunteers can contact the telephone numbers 9441130894 and 7893632900 for registration.