Digha - Sankarpur Development Authority

Digha is the seaside resort town of West Bengal where a large number of people tripped in for a couple of days to relish and blend themselves to its unique sublime and serene ambience. Digha is located 187 km from Kolkata. It falls under the jurisdiction of Purba Midnapore district and geographically positioned at the northern end of the Bay of Bengal. Digha is West Bengal's most popular sea beach where tourists mostly from economy class thronged in large numbers, by quietly moving away from the usual din and bustle of hectic life for the sake of revitalizing themselves in an infinitesimal manner. Digha is originally known as Beerkul during Warren Hastings time was discovered in the late 18th century by the British. It is mentioned as the "Brighton of the East" in one of Warren Hasting's letters to his wife. Today‘s Digha is someway the brainchild of Dr B. C. Roy who nurtured the idea of promoting Digha as a popular beach resort which can entice people to visit it repetitively. The entire beach of Digha is dotted with casuarina plantations that sprung up over the sand dunes which not only add to the scenic aestheticism but also in containing the erosion.

However due excessive anthropogenic interventions in recent times Digha is facing multitude of problems that have serious repercussions on the coastal ecosystem. Blatant usage of natural resources, flagrant violations of CRZ rules, unauthorized constructions along the sea shore, discharge of solid waste in a brazen manner is someway pushing Digha on the brink of an impending catastrophe that is beyond redemption.

ICZM Project intends to address this particular issue of how a tourist spot can sustain itself by stabilizing the vital parameters connected to ecological footprints. A major portion of the developmental works under the ICZM Project at Digha will be implemented by Digha-Sankarpur Development Authority (DSDA), which is functioning under aegis of Department of Urban Development, Government of West Bengal. DSDA is instrumental of executing various developmental projects and schemes that spread over 42 mouzas under Digha P.S. and Ramnagar P.S. with 8752.63 acres of land.

The ICZM project mandates DSDA to implement a number of relatively small but important projects within the ICZM project that have a strong local perspective. These pilot projects are in the form of several small interventions aiming towards beach cleaning, beach beautification and providing basic civic amenities to the inhabitants of and inbound tourists that thronged at Digha. The proposed developmental work elements include the following sub-components:-

A.   Beach Cleaning and Sanitation at Digha

The virgin of Digha has undergone considerable wear and tear and if no significant measures are taken at this moment then the disfigurement to the sea beach of Digha will go beyond refurbishment. DSDA in consultation with SPMU-ICZM project will embark on the following tasks:-

o        Beach cleaning

o        Pay and use toilets along with changing rooms with shower facilities

o        Pay and use toilets without shower facilities

o        Removal of unauthorized shops /shanties that encroached upon the beach with suitable rehabilitation schemes which includes construction of rehabilitation and training centres mainly focuses on those hawkers occupying the adjoining sea beach area in an unauthorized manner.

B.   Beach Beautification and Illumination at Digha

DSDA has identified 12 sites for creating landscaped gardens, greeneries for amusement as well as for recreation of the inbound tourists along with beach area and garden illumination.

C.    Solid Waste Management in areas under Digha-Sankarpur Development Authority

The upcoming solid waste management system will consists of primary sorting of the waste and refuse at the points of generation, collection and transportation of the waste and refuse, putting the biodegradable materials into the process of vermicomposting, recycling of the non-biodegradable but reusable waste components and finally disposal of non-biodegradable remnants through engineered sanitary land filling system. The proposed site for solid waste disposal at Padima mouza of Digha lies beyond the Coastal Regulation Zone within landward side. Therefore, no CRZ compliance is necessary in implementing this component.

D.   Development of Drainage System

The present drainage system in Digha is not only derisory but also in pathetic condition. The present drainage system directly dumps the sullage into the sea and thereby contaminating the sea water with toxic elements which are hazardous for sustenance of coastal habitats in the long run. Open surface drains to be built at Digha only to collect the surface run-off and carry the water at a non-silting velocity by gravity flow.

E. Phytoremediation at Digha

Phytoremediation is the use of living green plants for in situ risk reduction and/or removal of contaminants in soil and water. The present proposal intends to build a Bioremediation STP which is to be located behind Aparajita cottage. Bioremediation STP will significantly reduce Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD) load and also stabilizing the DO (Dissolved Oxygen) to a certain extent. BOD is a measure of the content of biologically degradable substances in sewage. The septic water from the surface drain will be made to flow in a number of channels properly designed with implementation of specific variety of plants to interact with pollutants and thereby to reduce the toxicity and make the water suitable for discharging into the sea with BOD₅ concentration less than 30ppm.

F. Livelihood Generation in DSDA area

DSDA will also work in the livelihood generation for the local populace. Digha has rich tradition of artisans capable of producing exquisite export quality conch shell artefacts, decorated mats; however they lack exposure to market their products resulting in inadequate revenue generation in comparison to the time and energy spent. Several areas as listed out have been identified under ICZM Project has enormous potential in employment generation for the local populace provided the stakeholders are guided in tandem with the emerging market dynamics:-

       Travel and Tourism

       Food Processing

       Handicrafts

       Aquaculture

       Floriculture

       Horticulture

       Civil works

       Electrical

       Secretarial Practice

Project tenure: 5 years

Estimated project cost is Rs 62.25 crores.