Dileep V Kumar By Express News Service THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Poonthura coastal area experiencing large-scale shoreline change due to beach erosion, the Kerala State Coastal Area Development Corporation (KSCADC) is set to roll out shore protection works there. The agency has floated tender inviting bids for the works. Along with the shore protection works, the KSCADC is also planning to provide beach landing facilities for traditional fishermen at Poonthura and Valiyathura with the technical expertise of the Chennai based National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT). “The project area for the proposed shore protection works is located along the 2-km-long Poonthura seacoast. The entire activities in connection with the proposed shore protection are within the water area of the sea and its bed since the proposed structures are submerged breakwaters,” said a KSCADC officer. According to the officer, the shore protection works along with the beach landing would be facilitated by constructing five 100 metre long offshore breakwaters using geotubes. The construction of the proposed shore protection structures will be undertaken as per NIOT recommendations. “The shoreline change studies were carried out using satellite images and beach profiling data. It has been estimated that there is a substantial beach loss. Based on initial assessment, various shore protection options such as sand nourishment, segmented submerged breakwater, and groyne system have been proposed,” reads an excerpt from NIOT website. KSCADC chief engineer Krishnan B T V said “For assessing the bids submitted by bidders, a technical committee of experts from NIOT has been formed.” He also added that as this was for the first time that KSCADC was undertaking a work of this kind, it had sought the service of M V Ramamoorthy, Director, National Centre for Coastal Research for regular monitoring and advice as well as for crisis management in the proposed shore protection works.

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