Dredging Corporation of India (DCI) officially began work on the Visakhapatnam dredging and beach nourishment project yesterday (February 13).
The project – inaugurated by Shri K. Rama Mohana Rao, IAS, Chairman, VPA/DCI – includes dredging of 0.2 million cubic meters of sand in 30 days and placing the material on to the nearby beaches.
Speaking on the occasion DCI Chairman said that Vishakhapatnam coast is facing erosion since beginning specially Ramakrishna Beach and submarine Museum region due to lack of sand supply from southern side.
According to him, Visakhapatnam Port Authority has been trying to control the erosion by regularly nourishing the Rama Krishna Beach with the sand available in the sand trap at the outer harbour.
“Shoreline changes i.e. erosion or accretion is a natural phenomenon, occurs throughout the coast with varying magnitude due to natural processes and man-made interventions,” said Shri K Rama Mohana Rao . “The seasonally changing winds during the southwest monsoon (June – September) and northeast monsoon (December – February), generate wind-waves from different directions towards the beaches.”
He also added that along the coast, littoral drift occurs in the northerly direction for 8-9 months in a year, with the wave approaching the coast from the southwest. There is a southerly littoral drift for 3 to 4 months due to north-east monsoon waves. This variation in the littoral drift results in instability of beach where man-made structures disrupt the free-sand movement.
Shri K Rama Mohana Rao further emphasized that to reduce the erosion, Dredging Corporation of India with its state of art vessels, will dredge material from the Sand Trap area inside the port and pump the sand to near RK Beach coast.