A man walks along Uppada Beach in Andhra Pradesh. The beach has suffered severe coastal erosion in recent years. Photo: Manish Kumar/Mongabay
- Many houses along the eastern Indian coastline have been affected by constant sea erosion, cyclones, and other environmental factors. These houses have been abandoned by the people who live there.
- Some residents of these areas, which are close to the Bay of Bengal and were in danger, moved voluntarily when the tidal surges hit, while others were resettled.
- Reports of inter-state migration from coastal hotspots have been made from Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, as well as other states.
- Experts believe that the lack of a clear resettlement policy for internally displaced populations is making matters worse for these communities.
Uppada, a coastal village in East Godavari district is located 18 km north from the Kakinada port in Andhra Pradesh. Over the past few decades, the village has been subject to seawater ingress. The village’s shoreline has little to no sandy beaches. High tide surges pushed against partially damaged houses on the village’s coast. The basements of these homes are slowly being eroded into water. Villagers claim there are over 100 ghost houses here. These houses were once inhabited, but have been abandoned due to the damage.
Today, 100 of these houses are in a compromised state and could easily break apart into the sea. S. Prasad (40), a resident in Uppada said that hundreds of houses have fallen into the sea over the past 20 years, including a school and temple, a village market and bus stand, and many others due to cyclones or sea erosion.
N. Kishore, another villager claimed that a large number of the village’s residents have moved to other areas, such as Naikar Colony, P. Lakshmi Colony and Vengageta Colony. Extreme weather conditions caused disruption to livelihoods and forced people to flee the Uppada village. The majority of households were involved with the fishing trade.
The village suffered enormous losses. Kishore said that many houses are almost ready to be thrown into the sea at any given time in the village. He explained that geotubes were added by the government in recent years to reduce the sea erosion damage to the village. It also helped in reducing the damage to the coastal fringe. Geotubes are artificial structures that are stacked together and placed along the coast to stop sea ingress.
Geographically, Uppada is to the north of Kakinada port. It is also close to rivers such as Pedda (which drain into the Bay of Bengal) and Upputeru (which drain into it). Experts often link increased sea erosion to the presence of ports and mouths at sea.
Sea erosion is not a problem that only Uppada faces in Andhra Pradesh. Kalingapatam, located 237 kilometers to the north in Srikakulam district is famous for its British-era port and tourist potential. This area is also a victim of sea erosion.
Kalingapatnam used to be 500m from the ocean, but it now lies just before the coast. It has started eroding roads, beaches, and structures nearby. This road was once 500 metres from the beach. The ingress of seawater into the village has not destroyed half of it, Kal Ishwar (a Kalingapatnam fisherman) told Mongabay India.
Vaspalli Certainsh, another Kalingapatnam villager of 62 years, said that the area has been flooded. Our crematorium and temple were swept away by the sea. Many such structures were built inside. These activities have a negative impact on the livelihood of the local fisherman as well as the potential tourism potential of the area.
Andhra Pradesh’s 974-km-long coastline is prone to erosion. However, the coastal region between Kakinada and Uppada has suffered severe coastal erosion.
According to the EstimatesAccording to the NCCR, an autonomous institute run by the Union government and based in Chennai, 30% of Andhra Pradesh’s coast is vulnerable to sea erosion. It covers approximately 290kms of the coast.
Extreme weather caused displacement
Many pockets along the coast districts of Odisha show the years-long suffering of coastal communities that were forced to migrate, sometimes overnight. Seven villages gradually merged into the sea in Satabhaya, Kendrapara district. Later, the communities were relocated to Bagapatia.
Take the example of Udayakani, in the Puri district in Odisha. This village experienced a sudden tidal wave in 1999 that led to widespread flooding of their area, which forced them to move. Similar is the story of nearby Chhenua Village, which was resettled twice.
Mongabay India was informed by Rabindra Nath, a resident of the resettled Chhenua Village, about two kilometers away from the seacoast now, that it was their agricultural land which their forefathers had bought. This allowed them to move here since they did not receive any land-related government aid.
We moved here in 2000. There were approximately 40 households in the village. The severe cyclonic storm of 1999 smashed all the houses. All of them moved into this land. Pradhan stated that all were able to survive the cyclone that struck during the day. Without it, we might not have made it out alive.
Pradhan and other villages claimed that Udayakani and Chhenua villager had to seek shelter near the green belt along the coast. They were given some assistance by the government and then settled in other areas.
Villagers from Udayakani, Chhenua claimed that the Odisha government provided Rs. 22,000 each to the affected families, but no land as compensation.
Mongabay India spoke to Gobind Pradhan, 85-year-old resident of Udayakani, about how the cyclones that hit their area, sea erosion, floods and flooding have often had an impact on their farming activities as well as the overall health in the affected villages.
Extreme weather has caused the destruction of the green belt that runs between the sea and the ground. Many mangrove and casuarina forests have been destroyed and dried. Pradhan stated that regular flooding has made it impossible to grow crops in this area, while the salinity of our water has increased, causing problems with drinking water availability.
Resettlement problems
The government has had to do a tremendous job of resettlement, especially for fishermen communities, despite receiving government assistance. Ramayapatnam, in the Southern Odisha District of Ganjam close to the Odisha–Andhra Border, has suffered the most severe effects of sea erosion. Here, around 10 villages are in disrepair. They are vulnerable to any weather extremes.
For their safety, the government built around 400 houses in a nearby resettled community. However, only five families have moved into those concrete houses with electricity, water, and good roads.
Mohini, a Ramayapatnam native, helps his family with the fishing trade. The same job is done by most other women in the village. Mongabay India was informed by her that very few people moved to the colony. This is because most of the villagers are involved in fishing, and it will be difficult for them to get to the seashore.
Experts believe that many of Odisha’s resettlements and those in other coastal states are a result of a lack of policy documents and vision. Ranjan Panda from Odisha is a Water and Climate Change expert. He told Mongabay India, “Most coastal states in India do not have a clear plan for resettlement.” This comes when the people who get displaced under such conditions are often poor and marginalised.”
This is because if the sea takes your land, there is not much provision on paper to make it right.
He also advocated that land near the coasts be assessed for potential resettlement, as well as assessment of coastal displacement hotspots, to better plan for resettlement and climate adaptation plans.
Extreme weather and migration
Experts also believe that extreme weather can cause intra- and interstate migrations of people from coastal areas of the country. Bhubaneswar-based Umi Dan, head of Aide et Action’s migration unit, claims that coastal communities are skill-based communities that often migrate to other states to obtain better incomes.
People migrate to several coastal regions in Odisha. Surat’s coastal district of Ganjam is home to 700,000. This is a large number. It has a long tradition of migration. He said that migration is prominent if you start at Balasore and Bhadrak, Jagatsinghpur or Puri.
Coastal Odisha has better education and skills. Take Pattamundai, a coastal district in Kendrapara. This area is well-known for its highly skilled plumbers. They can be found all across the country, and they are extremely skilled at their job. Because of their skills, they moved out. Daniel added that people from coastal Odisha will be found in Kerala, coastal Gujarat, or other areas.
A studyThe Centre for Migration and Labour Solutions in Odisha claimed that coastal Odisha districts have higher household migration. This is because most male members of the household migrate to other areas, leaving behind their families and women who depend on the money they send.
Daniel, who was part in the study, also spoke about the responsibility on women living in these coastal areas, particularly in financial tough times like the COVID-19 Pandemic, when they are left to fend on their own and their children. However, he said that extreme weather-related migrating is not only caused by cyclones and sea eroding.
Other triggering factors
Climate-induced weather does not affect coastal areas. Migration can also affect areas that are in drought or tribal areas. Bolangir has 30 years of drought history. You will experience drought in the region every second year. Crop failure is a result of moisture reductions. Daniel stated that there are also triggering factors for migration. We see rampant migration from these areas as well.
Pratap Mohanty was also a professor at Berhampur University in Ganjam, and he validated the theory of migration caused by extreme weather and erosion. Ganjam is believed to be one of the most migration-prone regions in Odisha.
Ganjam is a rainshadow area, meaning it receives less rain. Here, agriculture is not productive. They don’t see much revenue and production, even if they are engaged in it. This is why people migrate from here. Rain is another environmental factor that can trigger migration. Erosion isn’t the only reason. Mongabay India was told that Ganjam is more influenced by the interior than the coastal areas.
According to a 2021 StudyActionAid and Climate Action Network South Asia estimate that 45 million people will have to migrate to other parts of India by 2050 due to extreme weather conditions. Climate-induced migration can be attributed to the loss of farmlands and boats of fishermen during coastal Odisha. However, in Sunderbans, West Bengal, the collapse of traditional livelihoods, poor infrastructure, and climatic factors are all responsible for the collapse of traditional livelihoods.
Climate change: Is it a reason?
Mohanty has been studying coastal erosion along the Bay of Bengal since more than a decade. He analyses the effects using satellite images and ground observations along the Odisha coast. When Mohanty was asked about the most vulnerable region along the Bay of Bengal to cyclones and sea erosion, he replied that it was Odisha due to its funnel-shaped shape, presence of several rivers mouths, and the shallower sea depth.
According to Mohanty from 1891 to 2021 the coast region in Odisha saw 96 cyclones. It saw a total 20 cyclones in the decade between 1891-1899. He stated that although the Odisha coast has seen a decrease in the frequency of cyclones, the intensity has increased.
Mohanty claimed it was not scientific to link climate change and the increase in intensity of cyclones. Mongabay-India was informed by Debedatta Swain from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bhubaneswar, that although it is difficult for scientists to link climate change directly with cyclones or sea erosion, if the global temperatures rise and the sea levels rise, India’s coasts could be affected.
According to a Please replyThe Indian Parliament gave the National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), which monitors changes in the Indian coastline, to the Indian federal government. According to data, the data identified 98 areas of high sea erosion in India. However, 59 of these hotspots are located along the eastern coast of India: Tamil Nadu (28), West Bengal (16), Andhra Pradesh (16), Odisha (5), and Puducherry (3). According to field experience, this list is limited to areas that have had the most severe devastations and does not cover new areas.
Not only is the eastern Indian coast being affected, but many other areas, such as Putturai or Muttam, Tiruchchendur or Kilathotam (Tamil Nadu), Sagar, Bagmara and Henry Island, Chaimari, and other parts of West Bengal, are also seeing extreme weather conditions causing sea erosion and devastation.
This article was first published in Mongabay-IndiaIt has been republished under a Creative Commons License.
