New Delhi : A startling disclosure of 45.5% of the Indian coast under erosion has been made by the Central Water Commission in a study carried out in tandem with the pace Applications Centre, using the satellite imagery and the locals, to produce the Shoreline Change Atlas of the Indian Coast.
Since the satellite imagery can’t capture the information on elevation, erosion and sand quality of beaches that varies with tide and ebb, the Tata Institute of Social Science, Mumbai, decided to verify this data by engaging the local residents in a unique “citizen science” initiative to study the sandy beaches along the 7500-km long coastline in India that supports the local communities as well as marine and terrestrial life forms.
Using the barefoot technology, the institute asked the citizen “scientists” to collect accurate data using a survey technique called “Adapted Emery method for Beach Profiling.”
The local community members were trained to collect data once a month on the day of the lowest tide, throughout the year, using simple equipment provided to them like PVC poles, measuring tapes and 5-metre ropes.
The results provided a visual representation of the beach in the form of a graph and as timeline analysis of the shoreline dynamics. Institute researcher Vivek Coelho, who designed and led the project with the coastal communities of Cuddalore and Karaikal, insists that “the level of accuracy in data was not compromised in any way.”
