There is no single solution to beach erosion, it is very site specific as it depends on a number of dynamic factors, professor of earth sciences in University of Hyderabad A.C. Narayana and professor of GVP College of Engineering Rao Tatavarti have said.
The wave action at every point on the seashore is dependent on factors like the topography of the sea floor there, the sediment availability and coastal geometry, among others that is why the scouring action of the waves is restricted to some specific spots and it is not universal, they explained while undertaking a preliminary study of the damage caused to the beach road.
It is essential to have a comprehensive data of the surf zone over a period of time to be able to suggest a permanent solution to stop the beach front from suffering further erosion. “We would have to go on a boat all along the coast and keep recording the data like wave dynamics, sediment content and currents at different time intervals and this would have to be done over a significantly long period before a solution can be suggested,” Prof. Narayana said.
“We have together undertaken a study of beach erosion on the coast of Kerala when Prof. Narayana was in Kerala University and I was with Naval Physical and Oceanographic Laboratory in Kochi,” Prof. Tatavarti recalled. We have the equipment, including echo sounders and measuring equipment, and are willing to deploy them for recording the data, but someone would have to pay for hiring the boat, he said.
Professor Narayana was asked by one of the senior officials of the State government to study the phenomenon and suggest the way forward.
