Coastal protection project cleared to shield Vizag shoreline

The State Cabinet has given in-principle approval for the preparation of a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for a comprehensive coastal sea erosion mitigation project along the Visakhapatnam coastline. The project, is estimated to cost between ₹172 to ₹175 crore, aims to protect the city’s vulnerable stretches of the shore between RK Beach and Bheemunipatnam (Bheemili) from sea erosion.

Disaster Response Fund and 90:10 cost-sharing pattern

The Centre has allocated ₹175 crore under the Disaster Management Response Fund for the project. Under the approved funding pattern, the Centre’s share will be 90%, while the State government share will be 10%.

Visakhapatnam Metropolitan Region Development Authority (VMRDA) chief engineer Vinay Kumar told The Hindu that the authority was awaiting guidelines from the Municipal Administration and Urban Development (MA&UD) on handing over the study either to the National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT) Chennai or IIT Madras. The selected expert technical agency will evaluate long-term coastal protection dynamics, hydrodynamic wave patterns, and sustainable engineering solutions prior to ground execution. The next stage will be the tendering process for execution.

Historical context of severe shoreline erosion

Visakhapatnam’s beachfront has faced persistent littoral drift imbalances and severe erosion since the construction of the Visakhapatnam Port outer harbour during the 1970s. Over the past three decades, the loss of natural sand supply from the southern drift, combined with severe cyclonic storms—including Cyclone Hudhud in 2014, Cyclone Jawad in 2021, and Cyclone Michaung in 2023—has severely eroded over 50 metres of beach width along the RK Beach stretch.

In response, past civic body interventions largely relied on short-term temporary measures such as dumping granite boulders, installing geo-textile tubes, and periodic sand nourishment by the Visakhapatnam Port Authority (VPA).

However, monsoon high tides routinely weaken these interventions, exposing historical World War II pillboxes, damaged footpaths near the INS Kursura Submarine Museum, and washing away portions of the coastal children’s park.

Vulnerable hotspots and modern bio-shield solutions

According to officials, the VMRDA and civic agencies recently mapped wave activity and identified 30 critical erosion spots along the coastal corridor. The key priority zones include the Kursura Submarine Museum, Coconut Arena near Sea Hotel, children’s park, and northern stretches across Rushikonda, Mangamaripeta, and Bheemili.

Shifting away from ad-hoc boulder dumping, the upcoming DPR by NIOT or IIT Madras will focus on permanent engineering solutions like offshore submerged reefs, groynes, and controlled sand nourishment coupled with natural bio-shield plantations to absorb wave energy and permanently secure the coastline.