IIT Madras Starts Ground Survey For ₹323 Crore Uppada Coastal Protection Project

Efforts to provide a long-term solution to the erosion threatening Uppada’s coastline in the Pithapuram Assembly constituency have moved forward, with IIT Madras beginning field studies for the design and Detailed Project Report (DPR) of a proposed coastal protection wall.

A five-member team of experts is conducting an extensive survey along the Uppada coast under the supervision of Andhra Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Pawan Kalyan. The project, estimated to cost around ₹323 crore and proposed to be funded through the National Disaster Management Fund, is aimed at developing a technically sound and sustainable response to the region’s persistent coastal erosion.

The study is using advanced surveying technologies, including drones, beach profiling and the Trimble R980 GNSS RTK system, to collect detailed information about the coastline. Soil and sand samples are also being gathered from different locations extending from the seabed to the beach for scientific analysis.

As part of the assessment, bathymetric surveys are being conducted to determine sea depth, seabed levels and changes in underwater terrain. Experts are also examining beach morphology, slope and elevation, wave action, current patterns, the severity of erosion and changes in the adjoining landmass. Shoreline mapping has already been completed.

The findings from these studies will be used to determine the most suitable alignment for the proposed protection wall and prepare its design and DPR.

Residents of Uppada and surrounding coastal villages have faced severe erosion for nearly four decades. Large stretches of agricultural and residential land have been lost to the sea, with several families displaced and farmers losing valuable cultivable land.

The government is also considering a broader coastal protection strategy involving a sea protection wall, groyne field and nature-based measures around Hope Island. The approach is intended to address erosion while taking the local coastal ecosystem into account.

Pawan Kalyan has directed officials to complete the design and DPR within the stipulated timeframe while maintaining quality standards. He has also called for environmental and other statutory clearances to be pursued simultaneously so that construction can begin without unnecessary delays once the technical process is completed.