Sand spit and shoreline dynamics near Terekhol River mouth, Goa, India

Abstract

Evolution of shoreline and sand spit at the mouth of the Terekhol River, near Keri beach, located in the Indian state of Goa has been investigated. From the analysis of the data collected, the shoreline oscillation (accretion & erosion) is seasonal up to 2010. A sand spit of 2 m height has been stabilized in 2012 during monsoon in the southern bank of the river which obstructs the natural flow of the river and also hindrance to the ferry transport system. This leads to the unbalanced scenario between the sediment discharge from the river and the littoral transport. Around 2 km stretch of shoreline is under severe erosion in which a stretch of 500 m of sea wall is completely damaged. Sand spit present in the northern part of the shoreline plays a vital role in the shoreline oscillation. Tetrapods were placed recently to protect the eroding part of the coast. Due to the unbalanced littoral movement, the erosion is still persisting and started damaging the new tetrapod protective measure. 2014, National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR). All rights reserved.