(a) whether the Government is aware that water ingress into the Coastal villages of the country including Andaman and Nicobar Islands is taking place very frequently;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the National Cyclone risk Management Project is being implemented in the coastal
areas of the country including Andaman and Nicobar Islands; and
(d) if so, the details thereof?
MINISTER OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF EARTH SCIENCES(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)
(a) Yes, Sir.
(b) The water ingress is noticed in places of Tamilnadu namely Chennai, Cuddalore and
Tiruchendur in August 2005 during spring tide (full/new moon day) which is believed to be
largely due to near shore changes associated with the removal of sand after the 2004 Tsunami.
The recovery process subsequently took about a year or so and as such no reports of water ingress
are received after 2006. However, Kerala reported frequent occurrence of water ingress during
the pre-monsoon period (March) associated with swell waves coming from the South Indian Ocean.
Seasonal ingress of sea water into fresh water aquifers adjoining the banks of rivers/
tidal estuaries/lagoons is also observed in coastal areas during the summer when the fresh water
flow into these coastal eco-systems is diminished. Such a phenomenon has been observed from low
lying areas of Corbyn’s Cove, Saitankhari and Govindnager in Andaman & Nicobar, and along creeks
along the coastline of India.
(c&d) The National Cyclone Risk Management Project (NCRMP) has been drawn up with a view
to address cyclone hazard risks in 13 coastal prone coastal states/UTs, including Andaman & Nicobar
Islands, with World Bank assistance. The project is coordinated by the National Disaster Management
Authority (NDMA) and yet to be posed to the World Bank for appraisal.