Why in the News?
India’s coastline has increased by about 48%, not because of new land but due to better digital mapping and updated measurements. It has grown from 7,516 km to 11,098 km, giving a clearer view of the country’s natural borders.
What led to the increase in India’s measured coastline length?
- Use of High-Resolution Mapping Technology: The shift from low-resolution (1:4,500,000) to high-resolution data (1:250,000) allowed finer measurement of the coastline’s bends and curves. Eg: Modern GIS software captured intricate coastal shapes that older manual methods missed.
- Inclusion of Previously Omitted Offshore Islands: Many small offshore islands that were earlier not visible or excluded due to manual limitations are now included. Eg: Several minor islands around the Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep regions added extra coastline length.
- Coastline Paradox and Irregularity of Landforms: Coastlines are naturally irregular; measuring them at a finer scale captures more detail, thus increasing total length. Eg: Like using a one-meter ruler instead of a one-kilometre one—more small features are counted, increasing overall length.
Why is the coastline paradox relevant to India’s coastal mapping?
- Scale-Dependent Measurement: The coastline paradox shows that a coastline’s length varies based on the scale or resolution used for measurement—the finer the scale, the longer the coastline appears. Eg: Measuring with 1:250,000 scale data gives a much longer length than with 1:4,500,000 scale data.
- Irregular Nature of Coastlines: Coastlines are highly irregular, full of bends, curves, and inlets, which get missed at lower resolutions but captured at higher ones. Eg: A low-resolution map smooths out land features, while high-resolution GIS tools map every minor curve.
- No Fixed Length: The paradox proves that coastlines do not have a finite length—they can always be measured in more detail, leading to ever-changing figures. Eg: Even with current high-tech tools, the actual coastline length keeps increasing with better precision in future reassessments.
How does reassessing the coastline and islands impact governance and security?
- Accurate Administrative and Developmental Planning: Reassessment provides a clear understanding of territorial boundaries, aiding in efficient governance and infrastructure development. Eg: Updated coastline data helps plan coastal roads, ports, and disaster response systems in states like Gujarat and West Bengal.
- Strengthening Maritime Security and Surveillance: Precise mapping helps in identifying vulnerable points, enabling better deployment of naval and coast guard resources. Eg: Mapping of remote islands assists in setting up radar stations and surveillance posts in regions like Lakshadweepand Andaman & Nicobar.
- Strategic Assertion and Environmental Management: Helps in asserting sovereignty over maritime zones and managing coastal ecosystems more effectively. Eg: Reassessment supports India’s claim over its Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) and strengthens climate resilienceplanning in coastal areas.
What challenges exist in accurately counting India’s offshore islands?
- Ambiguity in Definitions and Tidal Variations: Some landforms may appear as islands during high tide but get connected to the mainland during low tide, causing confusion in classification. Eg: Certain coastal features in Sundarbans and Gulf of Khambhat shift between island and non-island status based on tide levels.
- Discrepancies Across Agencies and Lack of Standardisation: Different agencies like state governments, Coast Guard, and Surveyor General have reported varying island countsdue to inconsistent definitions and methods. Eg: In 2016, the Surveyor General listed 1,382 islands, while other agencies reported 1,334, leading to a need for data reconciliation.
Way forward:
- Standardised Methodology and Regular Reassessment: Adopt a uniform classification system for islands and coastlines across all agencies, and institutionalise periodic reassessments using high-resolution GIS and satellite data every 10 years.
- Integrated Coastal Management and Strategic Mapping: Develop a centralised coastal database linking administrative, ecological, and security data to support policy-making, climate resilience, and maritime defence planning.
Mains PYQ:
[UPSC 2024] In a crucial domain like the public healthcare system, the Indian State should play a vital role to contain the adverse impact of marketisation of the system. Suggest some measures through which the State can enhance the reach of public health care at the grassroots level.
Linkage: This article explicitly highlights alcohol consumption as a significant public health issue in India, leading to injuries, mental illness, non-communicable diseases like cancer, and contributing to approximately 2.6 million Disability-Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) in 2021.
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