M A I N   N E W S

Sea wall along coastline likely

New Delhi, January 14
The government will soon come out with a “decisive plan” on the demand to build a “sea wall” in densely populated coastal areas of the country, Water Resources Minister Priya Ranjan Dasmunsi said today.

Talking to newspersons here about the demand articulated by tsunami-affected states, particularly Tamil Nadu, Mr Dasmunsi said the high-level Central Assessment Team was touring the affected areas and it would come out with recommendations.

He said some countries had built a “sea wall” to protect their coastline and it may not be feasible to build such a huge wall along the coast in the country because it was over 7,000 km long.

“When the assessment team submitted its report, I would take up the matter with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh,” the Minister added.

Referring to the comments of Planning Commission Member Kirit S. Parikh that the growing mangroves in the coastal areas proved to be the “first line of defence” against erosion, salinity and water incursion rather than building a “great wall of China” along the coastlines, Mr V.K. Duggal, Secretary Ministry of Water Resources said the country had expertise to check erosion and would consider all options to make the coastlines safe and secure from the calamities. — UNI