SEA SHORE PROTECTION ARRANGEMENTS INCLUDING FISHING AND INLAND NAVIGATION DEVELOPMENT AND REHABILITATION OF SEA SHORE PEOPLE AFFECTED BY TSUNAMI

1.Deciding the vulnerability level:

a)By local enquiry and observation ascertain the maximum level attained by the Tsunami wave and the highest level receding water attained.

b)Checking whether the level of incursion of the wave was uniform or regional or local.

c)If regional or local, whether an average be arrived at or regional or local levels to be adopted.

d)To eliminate the effects of human interference, a study to be made as follows:

i) To observe the nature of sea shore as to whether it projects into the sea or caves on the land.

ii) The direction in which the wave stroke the land.

iii) The existence of man made depressions on the shore.

iv) The effect of local drains into the sea.

v) Obstructions like bridges, buildings etc., close to the sea.

vi) Presence of loose objects like catamarans, boats etc., on the shore.

For this Oceanographers helped by statistics men are needed.

2. Deciding the habitat site:

a)Tracing the contour of vulnerability level and locating a site with suitable level.

b)The site to have easy connectivity inland and also to the place of fishing operations.

c)The soil at site must be suitable for construction purposes

For this purpose the personnel from Survey of India, Survey and Land records of the State Government, Revenue Department and soil mechanic experts to be deployed.

3. Deciding the type of habitat:

a)Ground floor to be left for non-residential purposes.

b)Flat system is preferable, G + 2 is desirable for safety against tsunami.

c)Buildings to be erected above columns resting on piles.

For this the choice of beneficiaries to be considered and the service of Civil Engineers, soil mechanics experts, architects to be used. Town and country planning Department and local bodies consulted.

4. Shore Protection:

a)Theri (sand dunes) to be restored throughout.

b)Earth required can be had from the inland channel to be excavated and the balance from the seashore.

c)Their top level, whether to be uniform or according to the site condition (see 1(b)).

d)The top width as to carry a four lane road is preferable, at least 2 lanes essential, in both cases with watching terraces, facing seaward and landward.

e)At river mouths bridges with minimum possible piers with maximum possible height to be provided.

f)Connection to the roads leading inland to be made by over bridges with enough head way over the banks of the inland navigation channel proposed.

g)Wind and soil erosion to be checked by planting the creeper adambu or kadambu with the special type of grass which grows on the theri, the sweet scented or screw pine (thazhai), coconut, palmyrah, dates, phoenix farinifera (eanthu) and other variety of palms, acasis, encalyptus not to be planted.

For this purpose the services of the Department of Forest and Horticulture and Ecologists and Highway engineers can be used. Soil conservation specialists are needed. Tourism department consulted.

5) Inland channel

a)In places where channel existed once and now partly or fully defunct to be restored to enough capacity for passenger and cargo ferrying during both ebb and low tides.

b)Capacity to be enough to carry inland drainage catchments not covered by streams having regular estuaries emptying directly into the sea.

c)Capacity may very according as the quantity of floodwater expected between two estuaries.

d)Desirable to collect rainwater in lagoons formed in low lying areas or artificial ones dug at intervals at suitable points.

e)Rainwater from lagoons to be drained into the channel through weirs on the landward bank with crest at high tide level so as salt water does not enter lagoon.

The lagoon M.W.L. (M.L.L) to be sufficiently high to discharge the maximum flood from its catchment with reasonable weir length.

To achieve these hydraulogists, irrigation engineers and navigation specialists to be utilised

6) Harbour and groynes

a)Mini, small, minor and major fishing harbour to be created in the rivers upstream of the estuary of rivers according to their size to be constructed with all components required.

b)If the distance between harbour be considerable tiny harbours at suitable points to be provide.

c)Each one to be provided with dormitory for fishing folk, cloak room for fishing tools, boat service yards, fish sorting and packing places, net and hook maintaining yards, net drying yards, cold storage, canteen, recreation hall, medical centre, library and reading room, weather observatiry signal etc disaster shelter, disaster warning centre etc.

In suitable points regular harbour to be built. In this regard port trust, Navigation expects, geologists, oceanographers, fishery experts, marine structure engineers, meteorologists, remote sensing and signalling specialists are necessary Altogether the coordination of the following. faculities is essential :

1. Statistics
2. Survey of India.
3. Department of Survey and land records.
4. Revenue Department
5. Building engineers
6. Architects
7. Soil Mechanics expects
8. Town and country planning
9. Local Administration
10.Highways
11. Soil conservation
12.Horticulturalist
13.Forest Department
14.Tourism
15.Ecology
16.Hydraulogy
17.Irrigation
18.Port Trust
19.Navigation
20.Geologist
21.Marine structural Engineers
22.Meteorologists
23.Remote sensing
24.Signal experts
25.Disaster Management Specialists
26.Oceanographers