After much delay, construction of Odisha's first geo-synthetic tube seawall project to arrest sea erosion along Pentha coast in Kendrapara district, would get off the ground in November first week.
The deadline for completion of the Rs 33 crore worth project has been set for June 2015, officials said. A Pune-based private firm which has been awarded the contract work of the project by way of global tender bidding is gearing up to start work with its skilled manpower and machineries.
The seawall project forms part of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme (ICZMP) and is funded by World Bank.
The project is being implemented under the technical expertise and guidance of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai to protect the vulnerable from the onslaught of the sea.
A high-level team headed by principal secretary, water resources department Pradeep Jena inspected the project site three days ago. Emphasis was laid on expeditious resumption of the project work. The damage caused to the shoreline by recent Hudhud cyclonic impact, was also assessed, said Executive Engineer, Saline Executive Engineer, Jugal Kishore Tripathy.
Following the impact of cyclone Hudhud on October 12, the existing coastal embankment at Pentha was battered by tidal waves. The vulnerable embankment had undergone damage, thus posing threat to the nearby villages.
The department is also contemplating to bring up seawall at Satabhaya which is undergoing severe sea erosion. A project worth Rs one crore is being planned for the proposed protective embankment. As the said area come under forest and coastal regulation zone, required environment clearance would also be sought for, said Tripathy.
The proposal for geo-synthetic tube seawall was mooted in 2008. Project work had begun last summer under the technical supervision of engineers deputed by ICZMP and coastal embankment division of the state government. But work had to be stopped as forest department raised objection.
