2022 · GS Paper 3 · Q18 · 15 marks
Explain the causes and effects of coastal erosion in India. What are the available coastal management techniques for combating the hazard ?
In short
Coastal erosion in India results from waves, cyclones and sea-level rise worsened by dams, ports and sand mining, costing land, livelihoods and ecosystems, and is managed by hard, soft and nature-based techniques. About a third of the mainland shoreline eroded between 1990 and 2018, per NCCR.
Model answer
Ghissu Editorial · Verified 4 Oct 2026 · 275 words
Natural drivers
Waves, longshore currents and cyclones such as Amphan (2020) move sand away, while sea-level rise, recorded in the IPCC's Sixth Assessment Report, shrinks Sundarbans islands like Ghoramara.
Human drivers
Dams starve deltas of silt, harbour breakwaters block the littoral drift north of Chennai port, and sand mining at Alappad in Kerala removes natural buffers.
Effects
Satabhaya in Odisha lost most of its land and its families were resettled at Bagapatia, fishers lose landing beaches, turtle-nesting sites vanish, and seawater intrudes into aquifers and farmland.
Hard structures
Seawalls and tetrapod revetments, as at Chellanam in Kerala, protect a fixed stretch but often shift erosion onward.
Soft and nature-based methods
NCCR restored Puducherry's beach with a submerged reef and sand nourishment, and the MISHTI scheme (2023) expands mangroves.
Planning tools
The CRZ Notification 2019 sets no-development zones, and INCOIS coastal vulnerability maps show which stretches need protection first.
Integrated planning
Draw shoreline management plans by sediment cell and extend integrated coastal zone management, with fishing communities as partners.
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Question from the official UPSC Civil Services (Main) Examination 2022 paper. Answer written by Ghissu's engine and checked against our editorial standards. Found an error? Tell us and we correct it within 48 hours.