SEA LEVEL RISE

July 11, 2019

According to data tabled in the Lok Sabha by the Ministry of Earth Sciences, of the major ports in India, Diamond Harbour in West Bengal located at the mouth of river Hooghly has recorded the maximum sea level increase.

Key highlights of data provided by Ministry of Earth Sciences:

Sea level rise in the country has been estimated to be 1.3 mm/year along India’s coasts during the last 40-50 years.
Four ports in India — Diamond Harbour, Kandla, Haldia and Port Blair — recorded a higher sea level rise than the global average of 1.8 mm per year during the last 40-50 years.
At Diamond Harbour – located in West Bengal at the mouth of river Hooghly – the rise was almost five times higher than the national average at 5.16 mm per year over the period from 1948 to 2005.
The sea level rise is higher in West Bengal, particularly in the Sunderbans delta is because of the deltaic sediment deposition as a result of the mixing of fresh water and saline water, according to experts.
Chennai and Mumbai, recorded a sea level rise far below the global and the national averages at 0.33 mm per year (1916-2005) and 0.74 mm (1878-2005) respectively.

Source : The Hindu