Mapping of Coastline

whether The Survey of India is going to map the country’s vast 7,500 km. long coastline, and will identify areas vulnerable to high tides, rising sea levels and coastal erosion in an unusually comprehensive hazard mapping exercise. It will be completed over the next five years.

Under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project (ICZMP), being implemented by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) with World Bank assistance, Survey of India (SoI) has agreed to undertake a project for mapping and delineation of Hazard Line along the mainland coast of India. The Coastal Hazard Line will be an input for coastal planning and management of the coastal zone. Under the project, SoI has to generate a 0.5 meter elevation contour map on 1:10,000 scale as base map to delineate the hazard line for mainland coast of India up to maximum width of 7km from shore line on the landward side.

The estimated cost of the project is Rs.125 crore (Rupees One hundred twenty five crore only). The funds for the purpose will be provided to Survey of India by MoEF.

The concept of Hazard Line delineation was incorporated in the Draft Coastal Regulation Zones (CRZ) Notification, 2010, after following due procedure, including consultations with the State Governments, the CRZ Notification was issued on 06th January, 2011.

The overall objective of the ICZM Project is to support the Government of India and selected States in developing and implementing an improved management approach for India’s coastal zones towards sustainable development. The objective of delineating such a hazard line is to delineate, map and benchmark the costal hazard line along the mainland coast of India.

About 77 per cent of the estimated cost of the project will be reimbursed by the World Bank.

This information was given by the Minister of State in the Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Shri Ashwani Kumar in a written reply to a question by Shri Mohd. Ali Khan in Rajya Sabha today.