44% coastline of Gujarat is actually eroding. While five per cent is high erosion, 10 per cent is medium erosion and 29 percent is lower erosion according to newly launched shoreline maps of Gujarat prepared by the Society of Integrated Coastal Management(SICOM). The high erosion zone is where the shoreline moves towards the land more than 25 metres per year. For medium erosion zone its 10-25 metres while for low erosion zone it is less than 10 metres.

The map published by Enviornment and Forest ministry of India has been prepared based on the comparative study of four satellite images dated 1980, 1990, 2000 and 2009. Based on these maps, the shoreline is being classified as high erosion, medium erosion and low erosion.

“This map has been approved by the state (Gujarat) government. This is not a unilateral mapping,” Enviornment and Forests Minister Jairam Ramesh said after launching the maps of Gujarat and Punducherry.

Ramesh said:”Our concern is really with eroding area. No project will be allowed in the high erosion stretch. In the medium erosion and low erosion stretch, projects will be allowed only after a comprehensive impact assessment and accumulative impact assessment.”

He said that the coastline is undergoing changes due to various anthropogenic and natural interventions.

‘Most of the shoreline changes are on account of the structures which have been developed or constructed along the foreshore of the country. Several of these developments are not compatible with the dynamic nature of the shoreline,’ the minister said.

“I hope by the end of January, we will be making public the the coastal erosion maps of all states that are remaining,” Ramesh said.

The SICOM is expected to release the shoreline map of Orissa and Tamil Nadu by January end and maps of all coastal states by the end of 2011.