Response to Coastal Erosion in Coastal Villages of Contai Coastal Tract

Swapan Kumar Tala

Abstract: India has a vast stretch of coastline of about 4670.84 miles (7516.99kms. ) of which 3370 miles (5423.489kms. ) borders along the mainland and 1301 miles (2093.75kms. ) along the islands of Andaman and Nicobar and Lakshadweep. About 30 % of the country’s population lives within 60km of the coastline. Many interactive processes are happening within the coastal zones which are directly and indirectly the coastal population. These processes are erosion, accretion and transport of sediments which normally occur due to natural processes, anthropogenic activities and episodic events like storm, cyclones, surges and coastal floods. These processes contribute to the coastal morphological changes which affect the alignment of the shoreline, beaches, etc. The east coast is subject to some of the most severe storm surges in the world. Every year the depression formed in the Bay of Bengal move towards the land and strikes the coast.

Keywords: Coastal erosion, Cyclone, Sea level change, Degradation