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Time to reclaim what the sea has taken from us

by Anton Nanayakkara


Pic. - Courtesy: Coast Conservation Department

For decades and decades, we have simply watched the sea gradually eating into our land. No positive action was taken to arrest this unhealthy situation, when it could have not only been easy, but also less costly.

It was only when the coastal erosion became unmanageable that some action was visible and that too was simply to arrest further erosion and not aimed at restoration of the lost coastline to where it originally belonged.

The Coast Conservation Department was set up as a unit under the Ministry of Fisheries in 1978. In 1984 it was converted to a separate department with the express purpose of combating erosion but the vision was still only to arrest further erosion and nothing more.

Boulders were placed at critical points to arrest erosion while in other areas sinking of cylinders was resorted to. But we could not stop the ferocity of the sea that continued to move more and more inland unabated. Allocation of funds to CCD was considered a waste and hence the good work they were doing also stopped.

The purpose of this article is to impress upon our people of the need "the need to see beyond" which the president of the World Bank quite rightly pointed out. The president of the W. B. Mr. James D. Wolfensohn has called upon the world to go beyond water, sanitation and roads. This good advice coming from a man of the developed world has to be taken seriously. The advice has much deeper meaning than the interpretation.

I have so far read in the print media still centered round, only rehabilitation, resettlement, housing, health etc.

In addition, we hear of far-fetched and grandiose ideas of moving the railway inland, a 300m restriction for buildings, shifting fishing villages inland, using the Southern Express way as the main access to the south and using the present affected coastal road as a tourists' access to the remaining beaches.

The financial implications, time needed, the likely resistance of the people are not thought of. All these ideas can simply be called "defeatist" or even "unscientific".

The world sympathy, aid, expert support both men and in kind, our task forces appointed with different terms of reference, are all focused on plain rehabilitation and some kind of hurriedly planned reconstructions.

However, none focused on forward planning. We also read about experimenters, opportunists and adventurers, climbing the social and political ladders having little knowledge and experience, getting appointments, which can bring little benefit to the stranded people, but themselves.

Sri Lankan's planning weaknesses have been a topic all the time, but no corrective action had been taken. For example we have been cowardly watching the sea gradually and steadily devouring our valuable lands in the coast with little remedial action except providing some little protection in critical areas by dumping boulders, cylinders etc.

Coral mining was endured to the maximum notwithstanding the harm done. Such warnings came as early as the 1960s. What better example do we need to see, other than the well-known Seeni Devale which had been a part of the mainland now lying as an island well separated from the main land. If an honest survey is done, it will be possible to see how much of our precious 25,000sq mls of land area we claim still remains with us.

It will be a tragedy by the future generations yet to come, if the government even at this late stage does not have the vision to regain all of the lost land or possibly more, by pushing the sea back to where it had been at least a hundred years ago.

Land reclamation

The process of reclaiming land from the sea is well known and practised in many countries according to their needs. Our closest neighbours Singapore and even Male have done the same. We have seen, or heard about them, but never applied such technical and scientific advances for the benefit of our country.

Just assume reclaiming a strip along the coast, one mile wide one mile in length generating one sq. mile of reclaimed land. If this land is valued at Rs. one million a perch (say), the economic benefit is 640x 160x Rs 1M = Rs 102,400 million per mile of beach front. If the width is, 1/2 mile (say), such benefit reduces to Rs. 51,200 million with a beautiful beach front that never existed before which can be used profitably.

The debate should not be whether we go one mile, half mile or even quarter mile to the sea, nor the value of such reclaimed land but the sheer need to do so if we're to minimize the ill effects of sea erosion. Let us go well beyond mere words and slogans to achieve what we need to achieve. Since there is little doubt about the feasibility of such a new venture if properly studied, it's feasibility, technically, economically, socially and environmentally, let us now go a little beyond to see what other matters can affect such a project.

The map I have reproduced from Arjuna's Atlas shows clearly the 10m, 20m, 30m,.....100m and 200m contours which should be an eye opener to the potential that exists to plan such a project to reclaim part of the lost lands to the sea.

It is also interesting to see how the sea bed contours have got closer together in the badly affected areas of the west coast from Kalutara to Hambantota. At a glance, different methods of coast protection are also prompted.

Land acquisition

Land acquisition poses no problem because we are well within our own territory. It is quite a different subject compared to Sethu Samudram issue. On the other hand a new dimension of land alienation of the newly acquired sea frontage in a planned manner will appear to be dealt with.

The present beach reservation of 300ft. spoken of can still apply within the new beach frontage created and leaving at least a further say 5000ft. of beach area in front of the existing beach front left after the Tsunami. (based on w = 1mile)

Any future Tsunamis will now be hitting the land one mile or so away and by the time it reaches the now existing land mass, a good part of the energy would have got expended. We should not forget that Tsunamis are not as common as floods, landslides, or even earthquakes and are quite rare. Even a future generation is not likely to see one during their lifetime.

We have heard ad nauseam fears of sea level rise and the possibility of the low-lying lands getting submerged. The entire approach is highly academic. Only fears are expressed but no solutions are forthcoming.

The top level of the new reclaimed and are well within man's control and the aspect of fear of sea level rise can now be ignored at least for some time.

The wider beach frontage created with the sea pushed back can easily provide space for certain selected structures (even Hotels) to remain where they were, with the precaution of earthquake resistant structures and minimum safety against a future Tsunami. Construction materials used and design concepts and rules will drastically change because of precautions to be taken against future such disasters. These matters are well within our capability to decide.

Fishing villages

It is quite safe to leave the indigenous fishing villages where they are without uprooting them and creating a new human problem of resistance to relocation.

Such villages can now come within the proposed green belt.

River outfall, that now have an unsolved problem of sandbar formation creating internal drainage problems and internal flooding and salt water intrusion, will automatically cease to be a problem. These outfall will automatically get stabilized to our benefit.

Tourists will now enjoy a wider, better and safer beach front than they had before. Hotels that comply with the new building rules and regulations (to be given time) can stay where they are. Tourism can flourish with a new group of "Tsunami Qurious Tourists" who will come to gain first hand information of what took place on 26/12/2004. Tourist industry can even sell such information if someone can compile a book of what took place during the 26/12/2004 Tsunamis disaster.

Fishery harbours

This new beach front can be so designed as not to affect the activities of fishery harbours. In fact, they too will benefit from the extended beach frontage.

Galle road can remain where it is because it will be standing one mile (say) inland if this proposal can be implemented, so will the railway to the south. There will be no scenic loss to travellers.

Green belt

A new green belt with plenty of trees grown can be a barrier to protect the present land mass enhancing both environment as well as resistance to erosion and as a wind barrier.

Since the lifestyles of the people who inhabited the coastal belt for generations will not be drastically changed there will be full cooperation of the people who want to get back to their lost land or their traditional means of living.

There appears to be enough and more materials available inland for which there is no use, which can be used for the construction of dykes. The cost of using boulders could be minimized. Other techniques too are likely to come up when reputed companies participate.

Fill material will be sand dredged from the deep sea and already we have experience in Crow Island and Muthurajawela of sand filling. Of course the development of a foreign company with experience cannot be avoided. The problem of seawater intrusion onto fresh water resources as happened at Muthurajawela will not take place in this case. Indirectly this will feed the much needed sand for construction purposes also.

Technology

For the successful completion of a project of the nature, it will be foolish to depend on local experts and technology, if a better final product is anticipated. I mean no insult to them. Opportunists may come along, but the government should put the project well above personalities. Foreign experts and consultants from reputed and friendly countries will be indispensable for this project. And this is the time to approach the help of such countries.

I recall a proposal to develop a certain sea-frontage at no cost to us, that came before the UDA while I was working as consultant/infrastructure development.

The proposal was simply toppled by one person due to ignorance or plain and simple vested interest. Many other useful & profitable projects (details available) are still begging at the doorsteps of certain ministries and authorities that remain insular to such proposals for period as long as 13-26 years. Such projects are not even allowed to get in to the pipeline of national projects.

The word "authority" seems to be a misnomer because it gives too much authority even to an average person.

This project should be viewed through the eyes of the World Bank Chief "to see beyond". It should be a good eye opener to all of us who cannot see beyond our noses. With the project cost benefit ratio bound to be high and considering other relief to the victims of Tsunami, funding may not be a problem while the post Tsunamis Syndrome lasts.

Legal problems

The present legal, problems that have surfaced will fade away with enough and more land being available.

Floods, earthquakes, lightnings, landslides, tornadoes, hurricanes, volcanoes and forest fires etc are natural disasters. They come and go and at some point of time, mourning has to stop.

Hiroshima, Nagasaki and Kobe disasters hit Japan. They rose up against all of them both man made and natural and today there is no sign of disaster to be seen. Lamenting stopped and rejoicing started with all due respect to those whose lives were lost.

With a wide awareness program about hazards of coastal living and possible coastal disasters such as tsunami and safety measures, combined with a reliable warning system in the entire region, tsunamis will take the back seat in our lives, as we boldly step forward as a united nation.

The writer has many years of experience working in the coastal region from Matara to Iranavillu in the west coast and from Pulmodai to Muttur in the east coast, and has seen for himself various degrees of problems both manmade and natural, such as erosion, coral mining, impact on mangroves and estuaries, inland fisheries and problems at sea outfall, and of salt water intrusion specially with respect to agriculture and some resulting conflicts.


ANCL TENDER- Platesetter

www.hemastravels.com

www.singersl.com

http://www.mrrr.lk/(Ministry of Relief Rehabilitation & Reconciliation)

www.Pathmaconstruction.com

www.peaceinsrilanka.org

www.helpheroes.lk


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