Estuarine and coastal areas of India in the recent years are under immense stress due to rapid growth of population density and economic activities. The estuaries, coastal waters and wetlands provide highly diverse and productive ecosystems and are therefore important food sources for human beings. Pollution through both domestic and industrial wastes, either as point or non-point sources, affects the water quality in the productive estuarine, coastal and marine environment. Long-term monitoring of health of estuarine and coastal seas is highly essential to assess the status of pollution in relation to remedial measures taken periodically. In view of this, a programme on Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System (COMAPS) addressing the above issues is being operated along Indian coastal areas since 1991.

a) Objectives

To assess the health of estuarine and coastal waters through an observations network and provide current status of pollution, trends of variation and their predicted levels for the future.

b) Implementation Plan

1. To establish a baseline pollutant inventory for all known pollutant sources (domestic sewage, industrial effluents surface run-off, etc) in the respective regions.
2. Monitoring water quality, sediment, biological and microbiological parameters
3. Inter-laboratory comparison exercise to ensure compatibility between the data acquired by various monitoring agencies
4. To identify and preserve marine microbes and to serve as a reference facility
5. To develop the database for the data collected under COMAPS monitoring programme for ready dissemination of various data sets to end users
6. Monitoring of organic compounds like Polyaromated Hydrocarbons in selected organisms collected at selected locations along the coasts of India
7. Prediction of selected marine pollutants through modelling studies at critical locations

The proposed activities on Water quality monitoring and prediction of pollutants through modelling will be implemented by the proposed Coastal Research Centre with the support of leading R & D institutions and Universities.

c) Deliverables

1. Prediction of levels of DO, BOD, Nutrients and Bacteria, for selected estuarine and coastal locations along Indian coast and generation of periodical health bulletins
2. WEB based modeling information system on Estuarine and Coastal Environment Assessment and their Health