Daily Brief: 17 August 2026

Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal told the Rajya Sabha that about 28.3% of Odisha's 564-km coastline is undergoing erosion, based on a National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR) shoreline change study spanning 1990-2022. 17.6% remains stable, while 54.1% is experiencing accretion.

At least six coastal districts — Ganjam, Puri, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Bhadrak, and Balasore — face erosion and shoreline changes. Jagatsinghpur is the most erosion-prone (47.6% of its 55.8-km coastline), followed by Ganjam (45.7%) and Kendrapara (45%).

Rising sea levels and coastal erosion have already submerged 16 villages in Kendrapara, displacing several hundred people. The Odisha government has developed a resettlement colony at Pentha (Kendrapara), touted as India's first climate resettlement colony. Podampeta village in Ganjam, once home to nearly 500 households, has been deserted as the sea advanced inland.

Measures being taken: A geotextile tube embankment — a large, cylindrical container of high-strength, porous synthetic fabric filled with sand slurry — is being developed at Pentha to absorb wave impact and minimise erosion. Sea wall-cum-service roads are being developed in Balasore and at Ramayapatna beach in Ganjam, serving a dual purpose: the outer tier defends against tidal waves, while the inner tier functions as an operational roadway.