Kerala’s Sinking Island
Why in news :
- A study conducted by the National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) has revealed anthropogenic interventions as the main reason for the plight of Munroe Thuruthu residents, Kerala’s first set of climate refugees.
- According to the study, almost 39% of the land area has been lost with Peringalam and Cheriyakadavu islands recording a land depletion of around 12% and 47% respectively.
- The islanders are facing steady land subsidence, tidal flooding and lower agricultural productivity, all of which have triggered a mass exodus from the region.
Reasons :
- Though the degradation started in 1980s, its severity was felt only in the 2000s.
- Unregulated sand mining and the resultant riverbed pools in the Kallada river have largely contributed to the current degradation.
- After the construction of the Thenmala dam, the sediment supply through the river too was blocked.
- There were many saline pools affecting both soil fertility and groundwater quality.
- The increased levels of soil salinity had impacted agriculture while the climate change too contributed to the ecological challenges.
More about Munroe Thuruthu Island :
- It is an inland island group located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada River, in Kollam district, Kerala, South India.
- It is a group of eight small islets comprising a total area of about 13.4 km2.
- This island is also known as “Sinking Island of Kerala”.
- The place is named in honour of Resident Colonel John Monro of the former Princely State of Travancore.
Significance of the Island :
- The island village is a tourism destination where one can see the coir retting process, coir weaving, fishing, prawns feeding, migratory bird watch, narrow canals and waterways, coconut farms on the lake shore, lagoons, mangrove plants and the beautiful tiny islands of Pathupara.
Tourism in the Island
- Kallada Boat Race, which is one of the famous boat races in Kerala, is celebrated at Karuvathrakadavu-Muthiraparambu nettayam in Munroe Island.
Kallada Boat Race, Kerala.
Threat of Submergence :
- Low-lying areas of the Island are reportedly under a threat of submerging in high tides.
- The island’s population has been steadily declining due to an exodus of people unable to cope up with the living conditions.
- Villagers fear subsiding of the land, and they suffer due to the lack of transport and other amenities.
- Land prices have fallen as they migrate elsewhere for better opportunities.
- The problems may have been exacerbated by the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 that changed the backwater system and resulted in increased salinity of the soil.
Steps that should be taken according to the research team :
- The study by the research organisation proposes reverse landscaping, a plan integrating all aspects of earth and social sciences, to retrieve the landscape’s original geomorphic state.
- Since Ashtamudi Lake is emerging as an important tourist destination, the study stresses for sustainable management plans to protect the Ramsar-listed wetland.
- Apart from strict regulatory measures to control sand mining from Ashtamudi Lake and the Kallada river, the current construction methods on the island should be replaced with well-studied engineering techniques.
- An artificial sedimentation process to eradicate the saline banks of deep basins is also suggested as a method.
- The study also recommends using the sediments deposited in the Thenmala reservoir and those removed through dredging navigation channels for the purpose.
Syllabus : Prelims
