NAVI MUMBAI: The Central Government is developing a policy framework to tackle rising sea levels and their impact on coastal groundwater and erosion, according to information from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) public grievance website.
Navi Mumbai-based environmental watchdog NatConnect Foundation raised concerns through the PMO portal, citing research that suggests rising sea levels could push groundwater levels higher, potentially causing inland flooding.
In response, the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MOEFCC) acknowledged the issue and assured that it would be factored into the Ministry’s policy framework.
NatConnect Director B N Kumar urged the Prime Minister to take note of new research from New Zealand, which warns that rising sea levels can simultaneously raise groundwater levels.
“It’s time disaster management authorities prepare for floods emerging from underground in inland areas,” Kumar stated.
A recent study focusing on Dunedin, a coastal city in New Zealand, highlights that rising sea levels may alter groundwater levels, increasing inland flood risks. The findings were published in a scientific journal by AGU, a global organization representing over half a million Earth and space science professionals.
South Dunedin, which already faces periodic flooding, is expected to experience even more severe impacts due to rising sea levels. Researchers describe it as a “poster child” for how New Zealand communities are adapting to climate change.
“These findings,” Kumar emphasized, “strengthen our long-standing demand to conserve wetlands, which act as natural sponges and protect river floodplains.”
He stressed the urgent need to preserve open spaces for water absorption instead of filling up water bodies for infrastructure projects. “The government must prepare for the dual threat of rising sea levels and groundwater flooding, rather than inviting disasters through anti-environment policies,” he warned.
Kumar also urged the MOEFCC and the Geological Survey of India to study coastal groundwater levels in conjunction with sea level rise.
Despite India’s 7,500 km-long coastline, NatConnect noted that there has been little serious discussion on the threats posed by rising sea levels, apart from a brief government report on coastal erosion.
Meanwhile, interference with natural intertidal water flow has already led to flooding in paddy fields and low-lying areas in Panvel and Uran talukas of Maharashtra’s Raigad district, said Nandakumar Pawar, Director of Sagar Shakti. He expressed concern that authorities continue to overlook the growing crisis.
A separate study warns that by 2040, rising sea levels could submerge:
More than 10% of Mumbai, Yanam, and Thoothukudi
5%–10% of Panaji and Chennai
1%–5% of Kochi, Mangaluru, Visakhapatnam, Haldia, Udupi, Paradip, and Puri
By 2100, the flooding could be even worse, with cities like Mangaluru, Haldia, Paradip, Thoothukudi, and Yanam facing more severe inundation than Tier-I cities, according to a study by the Bengaluru-based Centre for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), NatConnect highlighted.
