A two-member IIT, Madras expert team on Sunday visited the sea beach erosion site at the Swargadwar and Mangala river confluence point in Puri and termed the high-tide hitting situation as very alarming.
“The situation upsetting as to why high waves are hitting a particular 100-metre stretch. It also needs to be studied why the Mangala river mouth has been blocked,” the team comprising Engineer Ram Kumar and Quadir Rawan said.
According to sources, the team emphasised on construction of a geo synthetic wall at the sea bank near the Swargadwar to withstand the high waves. But the IIT, Madras would take a final decision in this regard.
The team would submit its study report to the Odisha Government and the IIT, Madras authorities soon.
It may be noted that the high waves have eroded a 100-metre stretch of the sea beach during a week’s time. Many temporary shops have been shifted from the narrow sand bed. Noted paleontologist emeritus Manamohan Mohanty also visited the
erosion sites and said laying geo pipes or raising geo synthetic wall would not solve the problem; rather it would worsen the situation. The
beach should be nourished in a natural manner. Huge sand dunes should be raised to minimise the erosion problem.
The new tectonic plate movement may have triggered the change in the sea’s behavior, Mohanty opined.