Beach erosion at Kovalam fishing village, Tamil Nadu, with some comments on the seasonal shifts in the coastline along the Kovalam bay

Calamity in the form of severe sea erosion struck the village during May-June, 1986. Over 150 coconut palms and 13 houses were destroyed (Fig. 3 & 4) and several others damaged severely, affecting the livelihood of many households. It is evident from our report that we need to have a fuller understanding of the hydrological parameters and current pattern of the Kovalam Bay than we have at present. The fishery and also the conditions in the farm of Mariculture Centre, Muttukkad are greatly influenced by events in the Bay. It is clear that a deep knowledge of conditions in the Bay would be of great value in studying the capture as well as culture fisheries of this area. Moreover, events like erosion could be predicted and preventive measures taken by the authorities concerned. The unearthening of old sculptures from the sea bed is of archaeological interes