Orissa to implement long term plan to check sea erosion

Bhubaneswar, Aug 7 (UNI) Orissa government today decided to implement a long term plan to protect the lives and property of people adversely affected by the sea erosion.

The decision was taken at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.

During the last few days, beaches of Puri, Konark, Paradeep, Chilika, Gopalpur and Rajnagar in the coastal areas of the state were seriously affected by the ingression of sea.

The Chief Minister expresed his concern over the sea erosion and decided to implement a long term plan to protect the coastal areas.

Official sources said a delegation from IIT Chennai along with the representatives of Orissa Disaster Management Authority and Orissa Remote Sensing Authority would visit all the affected areas tomorrow.

IIT Chennai was asked to study the situation in the coastal areas and suggest preventive measures.

The meeting decided to undertake a Rs 15 crore pilot project in Pentha village of Rajnagar areas, worst affected by sea erosion.

Under the project, a massive plantation drive would be undertaken and Geo Tube would be used to prevent erosion. The project would be implemented by the Water Resource Department.

The government had also decided to launch a project at a cost of Rs 7 crore in Puri to protect the beach from erosion.

The construction work of the project is scheduled to commence by November 15 and would be completed by January 2009.

Revenue Minister Manmohan Samal and senior bureaucrats were present at the meeting.

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