Finance Minister K.N. Balagopal on Friday announced a five-year package featuring a two-pronged approach for the revival of the coastal areas of the State. The approach involves coastal conservation measures as well as infrastructure improvement.
The government aims to carry out coastal conservation measures estimated at roughly ₹5,300 crore over the next five years, Mr. Balagopal has said, presenting the revised budget for 2021-22. Funds for the initiative will be mobilised through World Bank, NABARD and the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB).
On the infrastructure development front, the government expects to complete projects worth ₹11,000 crore—including works that are already under way—over the next four years. This includes the coastal highway project and the wayside amenities project.
Coastal conservation initiatives will integrate suitable technologies such as double-layered tetrapods and diaphragm walls with anti-scour layers, mangroves, rolling barrier systems, geo containers, and geo-tubes. ₹1,500 crore will be provided through the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB) towards the first phase for conserving the most fragile areas. This work will be tendered in July this year and completed within four years.
“Extensive stakeholder consultations will be conducted with local participation before finalising designs. For this, the views of community organisations working in the coastal areas will be sought with the assistance of local self government and the Fisheries Department,” Mr. Balagopal says.
Bathymetric and hydrographic studies will be carried out for identifying technologies that are ideal for the structure of the coastal areas. Expertise of the Kerala Engineering Research Institute (KERI), Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI), National Institute of Ocean Technology (NIOT), IIT Chennai, IIT Palakkad, and other institutions will be sought for identifying suitable coastal conservation strategies.
