Disaster Advances Vol.

13 (6) June (2020)

Variability of Sand Spits at the Mouth of Estuaries:

A Disastrous Impact Study of Phanase , Tambaldeg and
Tondavali of Sindhudurg Coasts
Mane M.M.1*, Sapkale J.B.1 and Susware N.K.2
1. Department of Geography, Shivaji University, Kolhapur, Maharashtra, INDIA
2. Department of B. Voc., Gopal Krishna Gokhale College, Kolhapur, INDIA
*[email protected]

Abstract The estuarine mouth changes seasonally and depends on the

Numerous coastal landforms have been found in the geomorphological characteristics. The deposition of
parts of west coast of Maharashtra. The depositional material, its shape and size vary due to their associated
coastal land forms like sand bars, sand dune and sand processes at the estuarine mouth with the contact of sea
water. There is a strong relationship between coastal
spits are continuously varying coastal landforms in the
landforms, wind, sea waves and tidal currents6. During the
region. These coastal landforms are changing their low tide the sediment transport rate on the spit is higher than
characteristics seasonally due to the coastal and fluvial during the period of high tide, however sand spit level
processes and also changes due to the human depends on bed topography and river stage16. Most of the
intervention. An attempt has been made to assess the population is intensely leaving along the coasts worldwide,
size and shapes of sandspits of Phanase, Tambaldeg, many coastal landscape have been affected by the native
and Tondavali for the year 2003 ,2011 and 2019. people and natural disaster1. Numerous natural hazard may
result in another disastrous effect on the locals in multiple
The variations in the spits have also been evaluated form14.
periodically for the considered years. Every year the
Therefore, the study about the high risk zones due to natural
dimension of the sand spits has changed at these sites.
disaster is significantly a need for proper management.
The data variation in the shape, size and aerial extent According to many research scholars, the post-disaster
of the sand spit has been procured from the Remote assessment helps to reduce the disastrous impact. The
Sensing Technique and Google Earth Satellite Images. affected area may rehabilitate with the proper protective
Besides this, a field survey with the in situ observation measures8,13,17. Papathoma and Dominey-Howes12 in their
of sand spits at primary stage was also conducted at study have attempted a new tsunami vulnerability
the coastal area of Phanase, Tambaldeg and assessment method for the two coastal villages in their study
Tondavali. area that helps for the proper distribution of resources and
disaster management planning.
Keywords: Coastal landform, Sand Spits, Sand bars,
Satellite Images, Sea waves. On the basis of published tsunami risk maps, the research
scholars have assumed that tsunami flood risk has usually
Introduction the natural calamities within the expected flood zone in their
Coastal landforms are formed due to equilibrium condition study area5,10. But in their region they revealed that
of erosional and depositional processes which are highly 'population and infrastructure within a given flood zone were
affected by the sea waves and tidal energy15. The formation not uniformly at risk' due to the predicted and potential risk
process of sand spits and their altering uniqueness in terms zone, because of the in detail study about the flood prone
of morphological change in shoreline landforms have been areas11,12.
acknowledged by Johnson9 and Zenkovich18. It has been
noted that west coast of Maharashtra comprised with coastal As discussed earlier, coastal population is increasing rapidly
depositional features like beaches, sand dunes, sand bars and in the coastal area and settlements are threatened by
sand spits. In this areas sand spits are generally formed at the disastrous events like storms, cyclones and coastal floods.
mouth of estuaries and tidal inlet. Therefore, such erosion prone affected areas should be
continuously monitored for accurate information in terms of
Ganuzas - Monge et al6 have also studied the accumulation variability in the coastal landforms and migration of
and formation of sand spits at the mouth of eastern shoreline features. Such comprehensive analysis of shoreline
Cantabrian estuaries6. A sand spit is a low leveled deposited movement has also been attempted by the U.S. Geological
sediment i.e. ridge type feature attached to land or beach Survey in their region. Mapping and analysis results of
at one end, with the other edge opening in estuary or sea shoreline change may help in the concrete management of
water. The growth and variability of sand spits may be the coastal features7.
affected by artificial structures3.
The affected and erosion prone sites of sand spit should
* Author for Correspondence always be protected that are essential for the preservation of

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biodiversity which is significantly a need of conservation tombolo etc. Due to the destructive tidal currents and the
strategies2. In the study area, it is seen that continuous strong monsoon winds at the western coast, the landforms
variability in such land forms is required for some strategic are attacked inherently. The current shoreline sand spits at
planning for their conservation. In view of this, it is true that Phanase, Tambaldeg and Tondavali where the study
the coastal resource management of degraded areas with conducted is under threat due to various factors discussed
significant ecological importance are essential for earlier. Primarily data from the fieldwork and then the
sustainable development4. Therefore, present study in terms google images were procured and analysis was carried out.
of change detection and the shifts in location will help to
protect the shifted margins of the sand spits. The development, shift and degradation of the sand spits at
the coast of Phanase, Tondavali and Tambaldeg are studied
Here, it is a study of the western coastal land across the through the satellite images captured in the year 2003, 2011
Maharashtra State of India, which is underlying towards the and 2019 respectively. It is observed that sand accumulation
Western Ghats declared as UNESCO World Heritage Site having one side towards sea and other towards the mainland
having varied diversity of biological and geomorphological has changed their shape and area with a gradual shift in their
features with various coastal landforms. Coastal landforms places.
are developed as a result of stabilized condition of
depositional and erosional activity taking place at sea shore
with the help of tidal energy over a period of time. A sand
spit is a depositional landform emerging in where the re-
entrance of water occurs due to linear accumulation of mixed
sediments. The present research study portrays the
geomorphological studies and its retrospective analysis with
the help of remote sensing data through Google earth and
field work.

Geographically, the coastal area of the Western Ghats is not

a proactive part of the mainland of the state. But the recent
study of sand spits at Phanase, Tambaldeg and Tondavali
(tip) has shown that local coastal processes are dominant and
play a major role in the agglomeration of geomorphic,
geological, anthropogenetic and hydro-metreological factors
making a greater impact on the coastal landforms. Erosion
and deposition are combined processes that take place in the
study area. Resourceful practices should be undertaken for
the conservation of such coastal landform.

Methodology
Major objective is to study the spits with the Remote Sensing
images. Nowadays multi spectral images are available for
good resolutions. The images are very costly and not
available for each year. In Indian scenario LISS IV with
5.8m resolution is last option for these type of the study. So,
use of Google Earth Images for change detections of the
coastal spits is the most appropriate option. The specific
image was cropped from Google Earth and took coordinates
points for georeferancing purpose. Then all data has been Figure 1: Location Map
imported in ArcGIS software and georeferancing the images. (Source: Based on survey of India)
More than two images were mosaic in one image. The
process has been adopted for all years i.e. 2003, 2011 and Phanase Spit: This spit has changed very rapidly during the
2019. The spits were digitized and assessed. Google Earth year 2003 to 2019. Specially its area in 2003 was 0.06 sq.km,
Images are available from 2003 to till date. For the study of it was increased by 0.08 sq.km in 2011. In year 2019 it was
the spits Google Earth Images taken i.e. January 2003, decreasing area and the area was 0.03 sq.km. This also
February 2011 and February 2019. Selected spits are shows that the circular bar was emerged towards the
Phanase, Tambaldeg and Tondavali (tip). northern side of the spit. It is mainly viewed in the pursuit
that the strong offshore currents and the south western winds
Results and Discussion it have occurred. The encroachment in the estuary also
depicts the human intervention helping in the decline of the
The coastal line of the Maharashtra is noticeable with
sand spit proving threat to the ecosystem of estuary.
headlands, steep cliff, sand bars, beaches, sand spits,

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There is a significant and rapid shift during 2011 to 2019. Tambaldeg Spit: The north side of Tambaldeg spit has not
Especially, the area declined more than 50 % i.e. upto 0.03 shown any changes. The southern side was more changed. It
sq. kms. This is drastic change observed in the sand spit and was shifted 131.72 m from 2003 to 2019. West side shift has
the rapid shift vertically towards the northern side showing seen 32.19 m during the year 2003 to 2019, western side shift
a thumb like structure and again in opposite side towards the occurs for a distance of 22.87 m from 2003 to 2019. This spit
sea side i.e. 26.91 mtrs. was more and rapidly changed on southern direction. The
area of this spit was 0.20 sq.km. in 2003, 0.16 sq. km in 2011
The spit has shifted to north side for a distance of 152.63 m and 0.15 sq.km in 2019.
from 2003 to 2011 and southern side shift was observed in
year 2019. The eastern side shift was 64.41m from year 2003
to 2019. West side of the spit shifted 91.32 m toward eastern
direction. The west side gradually changed towards east side.
Phanase spit looked like a thumb up shape in year 2019. The
Phanase spit of 2019 was reduced in size i.e. half the size of
2011 spit.

The northern side continuously formed a narrow right side

channel entry of phanase estuary mouth, but during 2019 the
larger part has been occupied by the mouth of estuary with
inundated water. Most of the mouth zone area and sea water
have encroached toward the landward side of the mouth zone
of estuary.

Here at this site it has been observed that human intervention

in the estuarine system is the main cause of variability in the
spit and associated landscape of Phanase site. Anthropogenic
activities have also affected the supply of the sand material
due to disturbance of mangroves in the upstream areas of the
Phanase estuary. The slope of the deposited material at the
mouth of Phanase estuary at spit side has drastically changed
yearly and has also influenced on the water currents and its
pattern that affects the erosion and depositional processes of
the spit material.

Figure 2: Google Image of Sand Spits from year 2003 Figure 3: Variations in sand spits
to 2019.

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Table 1
Locations of the Sand Spits
S. N. Location Name Latitude Longitude
1 Phanase 16°26'35.19"N 73°21'25.32"E
2 Tambaldeg 16°16'43.02"N 73°24'39.41"E
3 Tondavali 16°05’19.16"N 73°27'43.67"E

Table 2
Area of the Sand Spits in Sq.km
S. N. Location Name Area 2003 (Sq. Km) Area 2011 (Sq. Km) Area 2019(Sq. Km)
1 Phanase 0.06 0.08 0.03
2 Tambaldeg 0.20 0.16 0.15
3 Tondavali 0.33 0.32 0.29

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