Why in News
Rising sea level and erosion of the beach in front of the Kapil Muni temple on Sagar Island are turning out to be a damper on the Ganga Sagar Mela as the West Bengal government is desperately seeking a “national fair” status for the annual religious congregation.
Sagar Island – Basic details
Sagar Island is an island in the Ganges delta, lying on the continental shelf of Bay of Bengal about 100 km (54 nautical miles) south of Kolkata.
It is part of the South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal.
The island covers an area of approximately 450 square kilometers (174 square miles).
As per the 2011 census, the island has a population of around 85,000 people.
Sagar Island is a popular tourist destination, known for its beautiful beaches, mangrove forests, and rich birdlife.
The island is also a Hindu pilgrimage site, particularly during the Makar Sankranti festival when hundreds of thousands of pilgrims gather to take a holy dip at the confluence of the Ganges River and the Bay of Bengal.
The island is home to the Kapil Muni Temple, a Hindu temple dedicated to the sage Kapila.
The Indian government is planning to construct a bridge to connect Sagar Island to the mainland.
The island is also home to a number of endangered species, including the Irrawaddy dolphin and the saltwater crocodile.
What is Tetrapods and why installed
The State government has put up tetrapods — a form of wave-dissipating concrete block — to arrest erosion along the Ganga Sagar beach.
The Irrigation Minister said that the impact of tetrapods in arresting sea erosion would be known only after the monsoon.
Speaking about the tidal surges and fast-changing landscape of the Sunderbans, Mr. Bhowmick said a char land (land formed because of sediment deposition in the river) had formed
near the Sagar Island, which the local people had not even thought of.
The West Bengal government has spent about ₹25 crore on dredging the island.
This is about 10% of the estimated budget of the Ganga Sagar Mela which is pegged at ₹250 crore.
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