Panaji, Aug 1 (PTI) — The Goa government has initiated a series of coastal protection measures, including the possible implementation of advanced sand motor technology, to address severe beach erosion at Arambol beach in Pernem taluka, Environment Minister Aleixo Sequeira told the state Assembly on Friday.
Responding to a calling attention motion tabled by MLA Kedar Naik, the minister said that the state Department of Environment and Climate Change is working with multiple national and international agencies to assess and mitigate the impact of heavy monsoons that have caused large-scale sand loss, threatening local ecosystems, fishermen, and tourism.
A major intervention under consideration is the use of beach nourishment and sand motor techniques as a sustainable alternative to hard coastal structures like seawalls and groynes, Sequeira said.
“For this, the state has partnered with Deltares, a Netherlands-based institute specialising in hydraulic engineering, to conduct detailed feasibility studies,” he added.
Speaking further, the minister said that the Water Resources Department has completed a comprehensive shoreline study under the National Hydrology Project, titled Integrated River Basin and Shoreline Management Plan for Goa, conducted by NIOT from July 2020 to February 2025.
Sequeira also said that the government has finalised plans for Khazan Land, Mangrove, and Turtle Nesting management, and is preparing a Comprehensive Plan for Fishermen Communities.
The CSIR–National Institute of Oceanography has been engaged to draft an Ecologically Sensitive Areas (ESA) Management Plan, covering habitats such as coral reefs, mudflats, salt marshes, and marine protected zones, he added.
