Naturally formed sand dunes, considered as physical barriers protecting the hinterland from tidal waves of the ocean for about one km abutting Pannaiyur and Ortrathenvilai hamlets are facing a threat from a private fishing harbour construction company, according to Nagercoil chapter of the Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH).
Its convenor R.S. Lal Mohan on Tuesday said sand dunes with dense vegetation as high as 28 metres were formed naturally for about one km length as protective wall against natural disasters like tsunami for the two hamlets in Needamangalam B village under Rajakkamangalam panchayat.
Sand dunes damaged
When many sand dunes were either damaged by human action or due to natural disasters, a few were still intact.
While hundreds lost their lives in other coastal areas in Kanyakumari in the 2004 tsunami, not even a single life was lost in Rajakkamangalam coast as the sand dunes protected these hamlets. Moreover, sand dunes were also habitats for marine turtles.
Turtle nests
Close to these sand dunes, more than 10 marine turtle nests were found every year. This forced the forest authorities to establish a turtle nesting hatchery in Rajakkamangalam coast in 2014.
In spite of this, concerted efforts were made to destroy the sand dunes by a private fishing harbour construction company against norms of the Coastal Regulation Zone Act, he alleged.
However, the company got CRZ clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests with the certificate obtained from District Forest Officer, stating that there were no sand dunes in the area or turtle nesting area along Rajakkamangalam coast, Dr. Lal Mohan alleged.
Land given to company
The INTACH, he said, was shocked to know that over 40 acres of poromboke land along the coast had been handed over to the company for the fishing harbour project. In view of persistent appeal by INTACH, Regional Head of Central Pollution Control Board S.K. Reddy inspected the sand dunes and turtle nesting areas along with the officials of the TNPCB and the forest department recently.
INTACH had taken up the matter with the National Green Tribunal to save sand dunes, Dr. Lal Mohan added.
