With the massive sea erosion irrespective of weather patterns eating up chunks of beach at Kovalam, Harbour engineering department is set to undertake a detailed study on shore protection works at Hawa beach in Kovalam. The department has invited tenders for data collection and investigation, which is crucial to identify the exact strategy for shore protection at Kovalam. The investigation work will be carried out at Rs 14.68 lakh. “The investigation will focus on factors which have led to erosion at Kovalam. We also need to do a comparative analysis of pattern of erosion over the years,” said an official with the Harbour engineering department. As per the annual report on shoreline change of Vizhinjam coast between 2018 and 2019 submitted to Kerala coastal zone management authority (KCZMA), the beach on the northern part of the port between Kovalam-Panathura and Poonthura showed erosion trend for both post monsoon and fair weather periods. In the pre-monsoon period of 2019 (April to May), significant erosion was noticed at the northern side of the port, Valiyathura to Thumba.
Kovalam, Panathura and Cheriyathura showed accretion. The beach volume changes for February 2015 and February 2019 showed accretion at Valliyaveli to Vettucaud, Mullur to Adimalathura and Poovar and erosion at Shangumugham to Beemapally, Punthura, Pannathura, Kovalam, Poovar to Edapadu beach, as per the report. The shoreline change reported for 2019-20, however, showed Kovalam was one of the areas where accretion was reported. Recently, owing to recurring instances of sea erosion, beach nourishment technique was proposed by transport minister Antony Raju. Raju has demanded that the sand being mined as part of the construction of Vizhinjam harbour shall be deposited on the coast from Poonthura to Veli. The minister gave a letter to fisheries minister Saji Cherian citing the need for preparing a project report. According to experts, natural and manmade factors have contributed equally to depletion of sediment deposit on the beaches along the district coast. Cumulative erosion has been detrimental to the beaches.
Earlier, the district used to have a regular weather pattern like monsoon from June to September and then there would be a fair patch which will begin from October till April. This period used to witness a natural beach building process. Even if beaches got washed away during rain, part of it or even more would come back in the following months. Periodic cyclonic activity, storm conditions, extreme rainfall situations and some manmade reasons may have resulted in this, the officials said.
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