Is Munroe Island a Sinking Beauty?

 

Is the island sinking?

 

I feel a little pain when somebody mentions it. It is a place close to my hometown, Kunnathoor.

I wish that would not happen. It is high time to act. Protect that gem to live long for our kids and grandkids.

Research reports said only some buildings and rail tracks were subsiding. What happens to Munroe Island when the sea level rises due to climate change?

 

An inland group of islands located at the confluence of Ashtamudi Lake and Kallada River is known as Munroe Island.

The location is in Kollam district, Kerala, India.

Features:

• There are eight small islets.
• The total area is about 13.4 sq. kilometers.[1] 
• We can reach there by road, train, and inland navigation is available.

As per the census in 2011, the island has a population only of 9599.

Males: 4636 and 4963 females.

Local people said the island was sinking. So, people referred to it as a sinking island.

The Munroe Island is only 25 kilometers away from Kollam by road.  

Colonel John Munro was the former Resident of the state of Travancore. The name of the island is in honor of Resident.  

Munroe Island

The British established their supremacy in 1795. The state of Travancore came under their governance. From 1800 onwards, the administrative head was a Resident appointed by the East India Company. Colonel Colin Macaulay was the first resident.

Colonel John Munro was the second resident of Travancore. During his tenure, Munro supervised the land reclamation effort in the delta. The Kallada River joins Ashtamudi Lake at that location. The land reclaimed under Munro's supervision was after him as Munroe Island.

Dutch church:

There is an ancient Dutch church. In 1878, the Dutch built the church. You can see a blend of Dutch-Kerala architecture on the scenic banks of Ashtamudi Lake. [2]

Dutch church built in 1878

The Christian family in the locality is looking after the affairs of this Church. 

• The annual church festival is a joint venture of the Hindu and Christian population residing in the area. 
• It is an example of the communal harmony on Munroe Island in God's own Country (Kerala). [22]

Tile roofed ceiling

• The slanting tiled roofs are Kerala's tradition of architecture to match the climatic conditions. For details of the  Architecture of Kerala, please read my other articles.

https://hubpages.com/education/nostalgic-old-days-in-our-house-an-example-of-domestic-architecture-of-kerala

https://hubpages.com/education/slow-aging

 

Rear view of Church

The island is an attraction to tourists. The tranquil beauty of nature is a feeling that you can experience. We can see the process of coir retting, coir weaving, fishing, prawns feeding, migratory bird watching, narrow canals and waterways, coconut farms on the lake shore, lagoons, mangrove plants, and the beautiful tiny islands of Pathupara.

Munroe Island is at the confluence of Astamudi Lake and Kallada River. So, I would like to discuss the features of these two water bodies.

Sinking island:

The local people said Munroe Island was under threat and was sinking.

Is it true? If it happens, it will be a threat to the population. Some reports said that low-lying areas of Munroe Island are submerging in high tides. A research team from TKM Engineering College visited the location and studied the matter in 2016. The Grama Panchayat requested the study of the matter to get the actual picture. [3]

The National Centre for Earth Science Studies (NCESS) also conducted a detailed study for 2years (2017 - 2019). They concluded that the Munroe Island was not subsiding.

Then why this feeling of submerging?

• Some buildings subsided.

They revealed that only heavy buildings constructed without following proper design standards have subsided.

Rail tracks at Munroe Island

• These buildings subsided up to 1.5 ft (0.46 m).
• The double railway line is under threat.
• The station platforms are also subsiding. Through this rail line, passengers commute with 150 trains per day.

Another matter they found was a tide of 1 meter at the coast transfers to less than 0.5 meters on Munroe Island.

Munroe Island

Another concern is that people are moving to other locations because they are not coping with present conditions. Fear of merging is on one side, and the other is lack of transportation and other amenities. Land prices are declining because of this migration, and demand for land is nil. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 exacerbated the problem. There was a change in the backwater system. The salinity of the soil also increased. [4][6]

NCESS scientists used satellite microwave interferometric techniques to study the subsidence of Munroe Island. The Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) has the same working principle.

InSAR applies a remote sensing technique for monitoring rock scraps, landslides, buildings, infrastructure, etc. [7] The principle is the same as that of satellite SAR interferometry. [8]

 Subsidence:

Subsidence is due to various reasons. Using InSAR, we can monitor it. InSAR has become a powerful tool to address many subsidence studies. Tomás et al. identified the strong points of InSAR techniques compared to conventional ones.[9]  

They are:

(1) higher data acquisition frequency and spatial coverage.

(2) lower annual cost per measurement point.

Infrastructure and building monitoring:

InSAR has many uses:

• We can monitor the stability of building structures. [10] 
• SAR data with very high resolution. So, suitable for this task.
• Used for monitoring highway and railway settlements,[11][12] 
• To monitor dike stability,[13] 
• Forensic engineering [14][15], etc.,

 

Mangrove arch

 Astamudi Lake:

The location of Ashtamudi Lake (Ashtamudi Kayal) is in the Kollam District of Kerala.

Features are:

A unique wetland ecosystem.

Large palm-shaped water body.

Lake is a gateway to the backwaters of Kerala.

It has multiple branches.

Luxury houseboat in the backwaters.

Astamudi means eight peaks in the Malayalam language.

The name indicates the lake's topography of the lake.

The location is well known for backwater resorts. [16][17][18] 

Astamudi wetland is one among the list of wetlands of international importance. [19]

You can see coconut grooves and palm trees along the bank of the lake and its backwaters.

Luxury houseboat in the backwaters [7]

Kollam is an important historic port city located on the right bank of the Astamudi Lake. Kollam Boat Club operates boat cruises from Kollam to Alappuzha.

This facility provides transportation to many other towns and villages along this route. Local fishermen use Chinese fishing nets (cheena vala in Malayalam), a common sight along the waterway. [16][20][21]

The lake is a source of livelihood for many people living close by. The prominent businesses are fishing, coconut husk retting for coir production, coir weaving, and inland navigation services are prominent businesses.

View of Ashtamudi Lake and Downtown Kollam [7]

The lake and its shores are a real inspiration for anyone who visits there, especially artists and writers. It has been the subject of many poems by Thirunalloor Karunakaran, who was born and brought up on the banks of the lake.

 

Kallada River:

 

The longest River in Kollam district is the Kallada River. The starting point of the river is Kulathupuzha, western ghats. The flow is towards the west. It covers 120 km and reaches the Arabian Sea. I love this river because it passes through my hometown, Kunnathoor.

 

Boat jetty

River Course:

The river travels through towns and villages, including my hometown, Kunnathoor, and reaches west Kallada after passing through Munroe Island. River's estuary is near west Kallada, where Ashtamudi Lake holds her in his arms, and thence into the Arabian Sea.

We have a suspension bridge at Punalur across the river.

The Travancore Kingdom constructed the bridge in 1877 with a British style.

 

Kallada River [7]

Traditional coir retting:

Coir retting is the traditional way of soaking the husk of the coconut. Husks are tied together and kept in different yards for soaking. Each yard contains 1000 of husks. They keep it in the water to soak it.

After this soaking process, they remove it from the yard and beat it to get the fiber. Coconut fiber is the strongest fiber for making door mats, floor mats, curtains, etc.,

When the fiber separates from the husk, the remaining cocopeat is a good manure for farming.

Traditional coir weaving

Coir weaving:

The traditional way of defibering the socked segment of husk is by beating and combing using the usual indigenous method. Twisting the fiber by hand is the method of spinning coir yarn.

Canoe trip in the backwaters

Mesmerizing beauty:

 

The landscape of Munroe Island is breathtaking. Greenery everywhere is eye-catching and a treat for our eyes. It is an enchanting experience while we travel to eight small islands on a canoe along the charming canals. Coconut farms, the mangrove arch in the backwaters, the positive energy, and the tranquil atmosphere are a great experience. We remember the canoe trip under the mangrove arch. The cool water surrounding the land landscape, the positive energy experienced, etc., will not fade away soon when we return from there. The backwaters around the island are a mesmerizing beauty of the land.

During the trip, we can observe prawn farms and mangrove forests. The scenic island is a tourist destination and is a perfect location for wedding photography and movie shooting.

 

References

1.   Floating houses at Munroe Thuruthu?". Times Of India. 15 May 2019. Retrieved 15 May 2019.

2.   ^ "The emerald isle". The Hindu. They were retrieved on 14 December 2015.

3 ^ Special Correspondent (6 January 2016). "TKM team starts study on fast-submerging Munroe islands". The Hindu. They were retrieved on 2 April 2022. 

4.   ^ Jump up to ^a b Varma, Vishnu (2 July 2019). "No, Munroe Island is not sinking; but that does not stop the sinking feeling". The Indian Express. Retrieved 2 April 2022.

5   ^ "Munroe Islanders of Kerala Battle the Rising Seas". The Quint. 6 November 2016. Retrieved 7 November 2016.

6.   ^ "The Sinking Island of Kerala". The Hindu.

7   Wikipedia

8   Longstaff, I.D. (2011). "Comparing real beam and synthetic aperture techniques for Slope Stability Radar" (PDF). Whitepaper, University of Queensland, Australia.^{[permanent dead link]}

9     Tomás, R.; Romero, R.; Mulas, J.; Marturià, J.J.; Mallorquí, J.J.; Lopez-Sanchez, J.M.; Herrera, G.; Gutiérrez, F.; González, P.J.; Fernández, J.; Duque, S.; Concha-Dimas, A.; Cocksley, G.; Castañeda, C.; Carrasco, D.; Blanco, P. (2014). "Radar interferometry techniques for studying ground subsidence phenomena: a review of practical issues through cases in Spain". Environmental Earth Sciences. 71 (1): 163–181. Bibcode:2014EES....71..163T. doi:10.1007/s12665-013-2422-z. hdl:10045/36419. S2CID 128740704.

10      ^ Yu, B.; Liu, G.; Zhang, R.; Jia, H.; Li, T.; Wang, X.; Dai, K.; Ma, D. (2013). "Monitoring subsidence rates along road network by persistent scatterer SAR interferometry with high-resolution TerraSAR-X imagery". Journal of Modern Transportation. 21 (4): 236–246. doi:10.1007/s40534-013-0030-y.

11     Tomás, R.; García-Barba, J.; Cano, M.; Sanabria, M.P.; Ivorra, S.; Duro, J.; Herrera, G. (November 2012). "Subsidence damage assessment of a gothic church using Differential Interferometry and field data". Structural Health Monitoring. 11 (6): 751–762. doi:10.1177/1475921712451953. hdl:10045/55037. S2CID 112142102.

12    ^ Yu, B.; Liu, G.; Zhang, R.; Jia, H.; Li, T.; Wang, X.; Dai, K.; Ma, D. (2013). "Monitoring subsidence rates along road network by persistent scatterer SAR interferometry with high-resolution TerraSAR-X imagery". Journal of Modern Transportation. 21 (4): 236–246. doi:10.1007/s40534-013-0030-y.

13^ Bianchini Ciampoli, L.; Gagliardi, V.; Clementini, C.; Latini, D.; Del Frate, F.; Benedetto, A. (2020). "Transport Infrastructure Monitoring by InSAR and GPR Data Fusion". Surveys in Geophysics. 41 (3): 371–394. doi:10.1007/s10712-019-09563-7.

14. ^ Tomás, R.; Cano, M.; García-Barba, J.; Vicente, F.; Herrera, G.; Lopez-Sanchez, J.M.; Mallorquí, J.J. (2013). "Monitoring an earth fill dam using differential SAR interferometry: La Pedrera dam, Alicante, Spain". Engineering Geology. 157: 21–32. Bibcode:2013EngGe.157...21T. doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2013.01.022. hdl:2117/19542.

15. ^ Herrera, G.; Tomás, R.; Monells, D.; Centolanza, G.; Mallorquí, J.J.; Vicente, F.; Navarro, V.D.; Lopez-Sanchez, J.M.; Sanabria, M.; Cano, M.; Mulas, J. (2010). "Analysis of subsidence using TerraSAR-X data: Murcia case study". Engineering Geology. 116 (3–4): 284–295. Bibcode:2010EngGe.116..284H. doi:10.1016/j.enggeo.2010.09.010.

16 "Ashtamudi Resort Kollam - Facilities". Archived from the original on 2 June 2008. Retrieved 14 October 2008. Backwater Retreat Ashtamudi

17^ Jump up to ^{a b c d e} "Ashtamudi Lake - Overview". Archived from the original on 17 December 2007. Retrieved 20 November 2007. Ashtamudi Lake

18^ Jump up to ^{a b c d e f} "Ramsar cities in Kerala" (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 21 July 2011 and retrieved on 7 February 2011.

19^ "The List of Wetlands of International Importance" (PDF). The Secretariat of the Convention on Wetlands (Ramsar, Iran, 1971) Rue Mauverney 28, CH-1196 Gland, Switzerland. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2 January 2008. They were retrieved on 7 January 2008.

20^ http://www.indiainfoweb.com/kerala/lakes/ashtamudi-lake.html Archived 29 December 2012 at the Wayback Machine Ashtamudi Lake

21^ Jump up to ^a b c http://www.kazhakuttom.com/kollam.htm Archived 11 June 2012 at the Wayback Machine Kollam at a Glance.