Erosion of the long stretch of not less than 5-km Krishna river bed near its confluence point in Nagayalanka mandal is posing threat to the survival of dense mangrove forest as well as river bed ecosystem.
Erosion has resulted in widening of the Krishna River adjacent to Salempalem and Kottapalem villages on Krishna district side. On the side of Guntur district, erosion is rampant near Bobbarlanka and Piratlanka areas, leading to extensive damage to the river bed ecology.
Local boatmen who venture into river say mud on the banks of river slips when the sea gets rough during storms and also due to tidal action.
According to locals, the width of the river increased by 50 to 70 metres in the past five years.
Nevertheless, mangrove forests seem to be protecting a certain extent of the river banks, close to the light house (known as Nagayalanka Light House),.
“The changes in sea water level and high tidal waves near the confluence point must be causing erosion,” Andhra University Geology Professor N. Subba Rao told The Hindu.
He said immediate affect would be on flourishing aquaculture ponds as sodium chloride concentration in groundwater would increase. According to geologists, once the salinity increases in the ground water, there is little scope to reduce its future. As a consequence, maintenance and management of suitable saline content in the water used for the aquaculture would be highly expensive.
Source: The Hindu, 27 October 2013