The marine environment of India harbours a variety of specialised marine ecosystems like mangroves, coral reefs, salt lakes, mud flats, which mainly form the habitat for endangered marine species and commercially important marine flora and fauna. Due to usage of sea as a place for dumping of wastes, medium for navigation, exploration and exploitation of living and non-living resources, the sea around India is constantly exposed to environmental stress and threats. Besides the above activities, the coastal workl activities like construction of ports, breakwaters, harbours, etc. have led to severe erosion of coastal areas at several locations. In order to prevent the degradation of the marine environment and coastal erosion, several programmes are being taken up by the concerned Government Departments and their agencies.

The Department of Ocean Development is carrying out scientific measurement of marine environmental parameters. Under its Coastal Ocean Monitoring & Prediction System (COMAPS) since 1991, data on 25 parameters is collected from 77 locations with the help of 11 Research and Development institutions. Data collected through this programme is vital information to formulate remedial measures to protect the health of our marine environment.

Using the data collected under the COMAPS programme for areas of concern have been identified and intensive monitoring of marine pollution is being done. Based on data collected during 1996-97, following states of pollution could be defined:

Areas of clean sea water quality : The sea coast beyond 2 Km along the coastline of India except off Mumbai is clean and conform to quality of clean waters. This is primarily due to the fact that the levels of dissolved oxygen and other parameters fulfilling the requirements of clean sea water. In Mumbai, sea off 5 km. is clean.

Coastal locations of No concern

The following areas indicated good to fair water quality:

Kandla, Vadinar, Dwarka, Hazira in Gujarat; Murud, Thal, Ratnagiri, Reddy in Maharashtra; Mandovi, Zuari in Goa;Honnavar in Karnataka; Kasargod, Cannanore, Calicut, Ponnani, Alleppey, Kayamkulam, Paravur in Kerala; Kanyakumari, Koodankulam, Vaiparu estuary,Gundaru estuary, Mandapam ( Palk Strait), Mandapam (Gulf of Mannar), Uchipulli, Thondi in Tamilnadu; Karaikal, Yanam (Gautami-Godavari Point) in Pondicherry; Krishnapatnam, Nizampatnam, Machilipatnam, Visakhapatnam Steel Plant, Kalingapatnam in Andhra Pradesh; Dhamra, Konark, Chandipur in Orissa; Saptamukhi, Digha, Diamond harbour, Haliday island, Dalhousie Point, Sunderbans in West Bengal; Port Blair in Andaman & Nicobar and Kavaratti in Lakshadweep.

Potential areas of pollution and need continued intensive monitoring:

Due to existence of definite source of pollution and observance of low levels of pollution the following areas may need intensive monitoring:

Hazira (Tapi Estuary), Okha (Mitapur),Porbander in Gujarat; Trombay, Bassein in Maharashtra; Marmagao in Goa; Karwar, Mangalore in Karnataka; Cochin, Quilon in Kerala; Tuticorin, Arumuganeri, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore, sea Off Cooum, Ennore, Chennai harbour in Tamil Nadu; Pondicherry; Gopalpur, Paradip in Orissa; Sandheads, Indo-Bangladesh Boarder in West Bengal

Areas of concern and need continued intensive monitoring:

The programme has indicated that the at Veraval Port in Gujarat; Versova, Mahim, Ulhas and Thane Creek in Maharashtra, the levels of dissolved oxygen reach nil values during low tides and show abnormal values of human pathogens. These are mainly due to disposal of untreated sewage. At Veli in Kerala where effluents from Travancore Titanium Products Ltd. are discharged very low pH values with low primary and secondary productivity was observed. Observation of low dissolved oxygen levels was also common at Kakinada Bay and Visakhapatnam harbour in Andhra and Puri in Orissa.

Also as a part of the programme, a mathematical model to predict diffusion and dispersion characteristics of pollutants is being attempted with the help of CSIR Centre for Mathematical Modelling and Computer Simulations (C-MMACS). Field data on tide, current and bathymetry required to validate model was collected during 1996-97.