Sea walls opposed
Sea walls opposed
![](http://admin.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/files/images/20051015/15-1.jpg)
environmentalists in Andaman and Nicobar (a&n) Islands are vociferously opposing a government decision to construct mud sea walls to stop the deluge of seawater post-tsunami. Many non-governmental organisations working in Andaman allege the move is a misutilisation of tsunami relief money and would destroy coral reefs.
"This [construction of sea walls] was extremely necessary for the welfare of islanders. We could reclaim a lot of land ...and, most importantly, save a part of Andaman Trunk Road...We have also cleared 1,713 hectares land for cropping,' says V V Bhat, chief secretary, a&n administration. But Samir Acharya of Society for Andaman and Nicobar Ecology, an environmental organisation, has a different take: "This is wasting tax payers' money. a&n islands get 3,000 millimetre rainfall annually and these mud structures cannot stand even for a year in this climate