Portions of Geo-Synthetic Sea Wall Damaged in Kendrapara Due to Cyclone Montha

Bhubaneswar, Nov 1 : A portion of the geo-synthetic tube sea wall constructed nearly a decade ago to check sea erosion along the Pentha coast in Odisha’s Kendrapara district has suffered damage following the impact of Cyclone Montha.

According to officials, the damaged stretch lies in the Rajnagar block, one of the most erosion-prone coastal belts in the state. Senior engineers from the Water Resources Department have rushed to the site to assess the extent of the damage and initiate immediate repair work.

“The seawall had been playing a crucial role in protecting seaside villages such as Pentha, Hatina, and Mahisasura from the advancing sea. The Pune-based company that originally installed the structure has been informed to reconstruct the damaged gabion boxes,” said Ashis Kumar Swain, Assistant Executive Engineer, Saline Embankment Division.

The 505-metre-long seawall was built under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Programme (ICZMP) with World Bank funding and technical guidance from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Chennai. It was designed to withstand the onslaught of high tidal waves and prevent the encroaching sea from devouring coastal habitations.

Officials said the structure had largely succeeded in shielding the vulnerable Pentha coast, located under Brahmansahi gram panchayat in Rajnagar tehsil, from severe sea erosion over the years. However, the latest cyclone’s strong waves and tidal surges have damaged parts of the geo-synthetic buffer system.

Restoration work is expected to begin shortly to ensure continued protection of the coastal stretch and nearby habitations.