Odisha’s coastline becomes 96km longer | Bhubaneswar News
Bhubaneswar: Its official now. Odisha’s coastline is now officially 96 km longer.
An updated report by the Union ministry of home affairs has revised Odisha’s coastline to 574.7 km from the existing 476.4 km, thanks to use of new terms of references for computing India’s maritime parameter by the National Marine Science Committee (NMSC).
The use of satellite imagery, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing provided more precise and detailed measurements of the coastline. The new ToR includes smaller coastal features such as inlets, bays, and estuaries, which were not always considered in earlier measurements. This comprehensive approach results in a longer measured coastline, the report said.
The ToR mandate more frequent updates and reviews to account for natural changes in the coastline due to erosion, accretion, and other geological processes. This ensures that the measurements reflect the current state of the coastline more accurately, said the sources.
Pratap Kumar Mohanty, a marine science professor and OSD of Dharanidhar University, Keonjhar, said coastal erosion is one of the causes creating more bay areas in river mouths. “Bahuda river and Rushikulya river in Ganjam district are running parallel on the sea coast due to sand spit. Such behaviour of river mouths creates bay areas and increases the coastal length,” he added.
Manoranjan Mishra, professor of geography at Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, said they were not calculating the inlets, bays and estuaries as coastline according to the 1970 Survey of India (SOI) report. “If we include these inlets, bay areas and estuaries, the coastline length will definitely increase,” he added.
Odisha’s strategic push to capitalise on its extensive coastline received a significant perception boost, strengthening its position as an attractive investment destination, with another 96 km to leverage from. The eastern state, home to one of India’s longest coastlines, has been actively promoting port development and infrastructure projects, said official sources.
State authorities have been aggressively pursuing the development of two new ports while simultaneously advancing plans for a coastal highway project. The proposed highway would establish crucial connectivity between the state’s northern and southern coastal regions, potentially transforming the maritime economy of the region, said official sources.
An updated report by the Union ministry of home affairs has revised Odisha’s coastline to 574.7 km from the existing 476.4 km, thanks to use of new terms of references for computing India’s maritime parameter by the National Marine Science Committee (NMSC).
The use of satellite imagery, Geographic Information Systems (GIS), and remote sensing provided more precise and detailed measurements of the coastline. The new ToR includes smaller coastal features such as inlets, bays, and estuaries, which were not always considered in earlier measurements. This comprehensive approach results in a longer measured coastline, the report said.
The ToR mandate more frequent updates and reviews to account for natural changes in the coastline due to erosion, accretion, and other geological processes. This ensures that the measurements reflect the current state of the coastline more accurately, said the sources.
Pratap Kumar Mohanty, a marine science professor and OSD of Dharanidhar University, Keonjhar, said coastal erosion is one of the causes creating more bay areas in river mouths. “Bahuda river and Rushikulya river in Ganjam district are running parallel on the sea coast due to sand spit. Such behaviour of river mouths creates bay areas and increases the coastal length,” he added.
Manoranjan Mishra, professor of geography at Fakir Mohan University, Balasore, said they were not calculating the inlets, bays and estuaries as coastline according to the 1970 Survey of India (SOI) report. “If we include these inlets, bay areas and estuaries, the coastline length will definitely increase,” he added.
Odisha’s strategic push to capitalise on its extensive coastline received a significant perception boost, strengthening its position as an attractive investment destination, with another 96 km to leverage from. The eastern state, home to one of India’s longest coastlines, has been actively promoting port development and infrastructure projects, said official sources.
State authorities have been aggressively pursuing the development of two new ports while simultaneously advancing plans for a coastal highway project. The proposed highway would establish crucial connectivity between the state’s northern and southern coastal regions, potentially transforming the maritime economy of the region, said official sources.
