NIO conducting study of soil erosion threat on Goa, Maharashtra beaches

The National Institute of Oceanography (NIO), a Goa-based autonomous research organization, has taken up a detailed study of the threat of soil erosion covering the coastline of Goa and neighbouring Maharashtra. The Central Water Commission approached the research institute here with a proposal to study the environmental phenomenon of soil erosion, the institute's director, Sunil Kumar Singh, told PTI on Wednesday.

He said beaches along the coast of Goa and Maharashtra would be studied as part of the project. "A study will be conducted on the cause of coastal soil erosion, its current impact, and to recommend ways to control the situation in future," Singh said.

"As per a preliminary study, it has been observed that sediment supply has stopped, leading to erosion. As a result, the coastline is changing significantly," he said. In 2015, the Central Water Commission conducted a similar study covering the entire Indian coastline using satellite data of 1989-1991 and 2004-2006 time frames.

The study then revealed that Goa had the highest percentage (52 per cent) of stable shoreline when compared to 11 other maritime states and Union Territories. Later, in 2017, the Goa government said nearly 10.39 km of its coast spread over 19 beaches was facing a threat of erosion. The NIO is one of the constituent laboratories of the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).