By Bizodisha Bureau, Bhubaneswar, August 14, 2016 : A two-member technical team from Indian Institute of Technology [IIT], Madras on Saturday visited Puri to see the massive erosion caused by high tidal waves in Puri, 58 kilometer from here.

The team led by Oceanology Professor Ram Kumar, on Sunday visited Swargadwar site, near Mangala river confluence, to examine the impact of high tide on Puri beach. The beach is being gradually eroded by the surging sea waves for the last few days.

Inspecting the sites, Prof Ram Kumar said after completion of the ongoing dredging work on old mouth of Mangala River, the storm water will get its natural outlet and the situation would improve. Erosion in Swargadwar beach is a normal phenomenon.

“The team from the Oceanography department of IIT-Madras led by Ram Kumar saw the erosion that has taken place near Swargadwara and in addition to that it visited the Mangala river mouth and saw the sand casting that has taken place there. The team will submit its report to the government on the basis of which the future course of action will be undertaken,” water resources department executive engineer Artatrana Sahu said. Sahu was accompanying the team during its spot visit.

During rainy season, erosions occur and later, with change in season, these are filled up by the tidal waves, Prof Ram Kumar added. The team suggested a detailed survey of the soil erosion and said the situation needs to be documented for years to ascertain the cause of erosion.

“The Executive Engineer took us to the erosion place. It is highly eroded. This is the product of river course disruption. Course disruption is one of the reasons but it is not the 100% reason. Normally, erosion takes place between August to October months. We have proposed for geo-tube embankment. After we complete our investigations we will report our findings to the head of our department in IIT-Madras, he will take a call on what exactly has happened,” said Ram Kumar, head of the IIT-Madras team talking to reporters here.

However, renowned paleontologist emeritus Manmohan Mohanty said laying of geopipes or raising stonewall along the coast would not solve the problem, rather it would make worse. The beach should be nourished in a natural manner. Huge sand dunes should be raised to minimise the problem of erosion.

Mohanty further said, the new tectonic plate movement may have triggered the change in behaviour of sea. Though the dredging work on old confluence of river Mangala is on, authorities ignored a cross bund raised by a hotel near the old river mouth.

A couple of years ago, when river Mangala changed its course, its existence was at stake and the new river stream running alongside the high tide zone of sea had washed away a road and some Government installations. Every time the erosion of beach occurs, the Government seeks opinion of experts. Till date, five experts have submitted their views in this regard. But the state government is yet to work out a plan to implement these recommendations.