Sea ingress damages road in Visakhapatnam

The erosion has damaged an 18-metre section right next to a freshly filled breach on Beach Road.

The 18-metre stretch of beach road retaining wall that was washed away by sea erosion on Saturday. Photo: K.R. Deepak

Sea ingress has damaged a fresh stretch of the beach road retaining wall on Saturday, raising concern among the authorities about the safety of the visitors to the ongoing three-day Visakha Utsav.

The fact that the damaged 18 metre section is right next to a freshly filled breach in the Beach Road has become a cause of concern for residents of the beach road.

City Police Commissioner Amit Garg who inspected the site immediately directed the police force to deploy additional personnel, including swimmers, along the beach, the main venue of the ongoing Visakha Festival. “We shall take steps to ensure that the visitors to the Visakha Utsav are able to enjoy without being exposed to the risk of rough seas,” he told mediapersons on the spot.

He directed the police officials to cordon off the affected area to ensure that pedestrians do not go near the eroded section.

As an immediate measure 1000 cu m of boulders and debris would be used to plug the breach and steps would be taken as per the recommendations of experts in the long term, Commissioner Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation Pravin Kumar told the media.

Since the Visakhapatnam Port Trust would be taking up dredging and beach nourishment starting February the problem would be addressed to some extent, he added.

There is no quick fix solution for the beach erosion, there is a need for a comprehensive study of the data like wave motion and bathymetry before a permanent solution can be drawn up, oceanographic expert Rao Thatavarti said after studying the fresh breach.