The Hindu Business Line : Concern over misuse of natural resources in coastal areas

Industrialisation, improper land use, unsustainable economic activities and overexploitation of natural resources have adversely affected the coastal environment.

Mangalore , March 11

THE Vice-Chancellor of Mangalore University, Prof B. Hanumaiah, today expressed concern over exploitation of marine and natural resources in coastal areas. He attributed this to the growth in economic activity and anthropogenic pressure.

Inaugurating a national workshop on "Pollution impact on coastal ecosystem of Karnataka" at Surathkal near here on Thursday, he said that the rapid development of west coast over the years has caused numerous environmental problems.

Industrialisation, improper land use, unsustainable economic activities and overexploitation of natural resources have adversely affected the coastal environment.

He said that coastal habitat is losing its pollutant-filtering capacity owing to the decline in the number of mangroves and coastal wetlands.

he cases of oil discharges from land-based sources and regular shipping operations are increasing, and sedimentation and pollution from the land are smothering some coastal ecosystems.

A good conservation strategy for coastal ecosystem should use the modern technology in an efficient manner, he said, adding that good waste-management practices and ecotourism practices are needed.

The workshop was organised by the Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI), Bangalore, National Institute of Technology Karnataka, Surathkal and College of Fisheries, Mangalore.

Presiding over the function, Dr P. Keshavnath, Director of Instructions, College of Fisheries, said that the Department of Fisheries, Environment and Ecology in his college initiated coastal water monitoring programme in 1976.

Under this, it studied the impact of effluent discharge by Mangalore Chemicals and Fertilizers (MCF) Ltd in the Arabian Sea off Tannirbavi. Bioassay experiments on standard test organisms exposed to effluent water and seawater collected from the vicinity of discharge point have not indicated any mortality.

However, a perusal of the data collected during various monitoring programmes revealed a gradual warming of surface water, he said.

Mr Ramakrishna, Senior Environmental Officer of EMPRI, who spoke on "environmental issues and problems in coastal ecosystems of Karnataka", said that the 320-km-long Karnataka coast has 22 urban agglomerations and 1,044 villages.

The coastal region is being degraded because of industrial and other activities along this stretch.

Dr H. Honne Gowda, Director of Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre, Bangalore, stressed the need for the development of a Coastal Zone Information System for the integrated management of Karnataka's coastal zone.

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