Rapid land building activity along Vedaranniyam coast and its possible implications

Satellite data using IRS 1A imagery super(14)C and archaeological dating shows sediment accretion and rapid land building activity off Vedaranniyam Coast. This sedimentation might in future connect the Vedaranniyam part of Indian Peninsula with Jaffna Peninsula of Sri Lanka. Existence of beach ridges upto Chettipulam indicates that the sea might have been upto Chettipulam and regressed to Kodiyakkarai in the recent past. Observations show that there is no strict linear relation between the rate of sediment accretion and the time period which may be due to fluvial and physical oceanographic processes. The tectonic upliftment has contributed substantially for such sediment accretion brought by littoral currents in Kodiyakkarai-Jaffna Peninsular sector and hence it can be confidently said that the Vederanniyam land segment will get connected with Jaffna Peninsula ultimately.