Social Welfare Minister M. Kandasamy on Thursday inspected the progress of the beach nourishment project.
Mr. Kandasamy visited the site in front of the Chief Secretariat and reviewed the progress of construction of the offshore artificial reef.
The project was being implemented by the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT).
Under the project, two submerged reefs would be built at a distance of 125 metres from the seashore near the Chief Secretariat and south of the new pier. The reef near the Chief Secretariat, estimated to cost ₹25 crore, would be funded by NIOT while the Puducherry government would fund the second reef.
Sources in NIOT said the fabrication of steel plates for the offshore artificial reef was under way. Once the work was completed, the steel wedge or caisson would be positioned above the reef base. The steel caisson would be 50 metres wide and 60 metres long with an elevation of 2.5 metres.
The caisson would be filled with water or sand and would remain under water.
As per a NIOT report, three lakh cubic metres of sand would be required for beach nourishment and sand dredged from the harbour mouth would be put on the seawall along the Promenade beach.
