News
The disappearing shoreline
View(s):The Norochcholai power plant is causing a fresh problem -sea erosion caused by the construction of its jetty.
Fishermen and residents in the area claim the coastal area in Ilanthadiya in Puttalam, close to the plant have been subject to erosion as a result of the jetty used to unload coal.
They said that though erosion occurs in the western coastal area between April to August every year, the situation has aggravated after the Norochcholai power plant was set up.
According to the fishermen, the cause of erosion was the 1000-metre long concrete jetty built to berth ships bringing in coal needed for the plant.
“We have faced immense hardships as a result of the power plant. The main reason is the jetty, which is causing massive soil erosion in the area. No action has been taken to resolve this problem as promised,” said a distressed fisherman Nalin Thisera.
He claimed that the fishermen were finding it difficult to put out to sea -their main source of income, because the coast line was damaged.
Chief Engineer of the Coast Conservation Department Mangala Wickremanayake said that normally when a jetty is constructed, soil erosion was inevitable.
She said though the parties who constructed the jetty promised to build a stone wall to protect the coastal area it was never done. “We will have to do that too,” she said.
 The shoreline has been reduced by nearly 300 metres and these wind turbines are now endangered by erosion |
 Erosion is inevitable when a jetty is constructed: Chief Engineer of the Coast Conservation Department |
 A picture is worth a thousand words. This picture speaks for itself |
 A view of the shoreline seen from the jetty |