AN ASSESSMENT OF COASTAL MODIFICAION IN THE LOW - LYING TROPICAL COAST OF NORTHEAST INDIA AND ROLE OF NATURAL AND ARTIFICIAL FORCINGS

摘要

The magnitude of erosion in a 30km long west to east extending beach zone from Digha to Dadanpatrabar (Lat. 21°45′N, Long. 87°45′E) in the low-lying, mesotidal tropical coast of bay of Bengal, northeast India has been focused in the paper. The beach is under severe erosional threat for the last few decades both from natural forcings of cyclonic storms, waves, tides and longshore drift and human activities including rampant use of dune fields for construction of hotels, dune destruction for open sea vistas and sand transportation. Certain conservation measures have been recommended including mechanism of dune maintenance by artificial simulation, dune creation and control of coastal water pollution from hotel sewage and fisheries wastewater.