Odisha’s coastal erosion: What’s being done to save lives, livelihoods
As per a study by the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), approximately 28.3% of Odisha's 564-kilometer coastline is experiencing erosion, with the most affected areas being Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, and Balasore. Jagatsinghpur has the highest erosion rate at 47.6% of its 55.8-kilometer coastline, followed by Ganjam and Kendrapara.
The NCCR has identified vulnerable stretches along the coast, including areas north of Gopalpur Port, Hetamundia, Hukitola, and Chilka sea mouth. The impact of coastal erosion has been severe, with 16 villages in Kendrapara district submerged and forced to relocate, displacing hundreds of people. The Odisha government has taken measures such as constructing geotextile tube embankments, developing sea wall-cum-serving roads, and launching India's first climate resettlement colony to protect vulnerable coastal villages from erosion.
Written by urgent.news from The Indian Express's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
