Digha
During the 18th Century, Digha village was under the “Birkul Parganas”. Digha is adorned by the virtue of her own natural beauty with the broad and vast blue sea and intoxicating rows of Casurina trees overlooking the sea. Digha is famous for its beach which is considered as the finest hard beach of the world. Sir Warren Hastings called Digha beach as the “Brighton of the East”. Digha first came to knowledge of the People through Mr. J.F. Snaith, an English businessman who built a bungalow here during about 1939 and tried to popularize it through own endeavours. Afterwards, Digha caught the attention of Dr. B.C. Roy, the well renowned visionary and Chief Minister of West Bengal during 1950’s who with his imagination took up all round development of Digha as a Tourist spot and as well as to help the growth of a new township at this charming sea destination. What we now see and enjoy at Digha is, definitely, the positive result of imagination and attribution of Dr. Roy who is called the father of Digha.
Beach
Digha located in Ramnagar-I-Development Block, is a sea side Town in Purba Medinipur District of West Bengal. It is the most popular Sea Side Tourist Place in West Bengal. It is famous for its 6 K.M long stretching beaches picturesque Casurinas plantations, Cyclical receding tides etc. Over the years it has emerged as a weekend hot spot. The Tourist arrival remains steady throughout the year. The Govt. of West Bengal has a vision of upgrading Digha into a prime sea side destinations of the Country.
Erosion
Waves
By studying the Survey of India Maps, dating from 1877 to 1931, it has been found that 970m. of beach has beeen eroded during this 88 years at an average of 11 m. per year. Recent study shows that the tendencies of erosion exist in the inprotected area of the beach viz. from Mohona to jamra Shanpur Mouza in the east and from Yatranala to Orissa border in the west
The Protected area of Digha Township which is in between these two is saved.
In the survey of IAW. Deptt., Govt. of West Bengal 1983-85 it has been shown that the Western-most area faces maximum lowering of the beach. The construction of sea dyke has not halted the beach-lowering even after the completion of sea dyke, and the erosion is continuing at an average rate of 15-20 cm. per year. The Dyke is entirely a superficial structure without any foundation, residing on beach sand and it cannot hold, a storm wave surge of the dimension of 1943 and the toppling of sea dyke is not ruled out. The lowering of the beach east of Mohana has played havoc to fishing installation in this area, viz. Shankarpur area and the huge investment on fish farming and on the other projects of the Government will become endangered and for this, the area needs immediate protection.