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Visakhapatnam:
Port Wings News Network:
Shri K. Rama Mohana Rao, IAS, Chairman, VPA/DCI on 13 February inaugurated the Visakhapatnam Sand Trap Dredging work that has been funded by CSR funds of VPA with a contract value of Rs.20 Cr for dredging 0.2 Million Cubic meters of Sand in 30 days. The Visakhapatnam Sand Trap Dredging Project is being executed by Dredging Corporation of India Limited, Visakhapatnam.
Speaking on the occasion Shri K. Rama Mohana Rao, IAS, Chairman VPA/DCI has said that Vishakhapatnam coast is facing erosion since beginning specially Ramakrishna Beach and submarine Museum region due to lack of sand supply from southern side, thereby loss of costal shore during past few years.
Shri K Rama Mohana Rao further said that Visakhapatnam Port Authority has been trying to control the erosion by regularly nourishing the Rama Krishna Beach with the sand available in the sand trap at the outer harbour. Shoreline changes i.e. Erosion or accretion is a natural phenomenon, occurs throughout the coast with varying magnitude due to natural processes and man-made interventions. The seasonally changing winds during the southwest monsoon (June – September) and northeast monsoon (December – February), generate wind-waves from different directions towards the beaches.
Shri K Rama Mohana Rao told that along the coast, littoral drift occurs in the northerly direction for 8-9 months in a year, with the wave approaching the coast from the southwest. There is a southerly littoral drift for 3 to 4 months due to north-east monsoon waves. This variation in the littoral drift results in instability of beach where man-made structures disrupt the free-sand movement. During past 25 years the Andhra Pradesh shore line is experiencing 25-25% erosion of various magnitudes.
Shri K Rama Mohana Rao further emphasized on the fact that to reduce the erosion, Dredging Corporation of India with its state of art dredgers, dredge the sand material from Sand Trap area inside the port and pump the sand using self-floating pipeline of length 0.50 KM to near RK Beach coast.
The Inauguration ceremony was attended by Captain S Divakar, MD & CEO, A/C (DCIL), Shri Durgesh Kumar Dubey, IRTS, Deputy Chairman, VPA, Shri P.S Lingeswara Swami, CVO, VPA/DCIL, Captain K.M Choudhary, CHOD, DCIL and other eminent dignitaries.
