Panaji, Aug 1 (IANS): Erosion threatens one-fourth of Goa's sandy beach stretches along the 105-km coastline, a minister told the state assembly Wednesday.

In a written reply to the legislative assembly, Water Resources Minister Dayanand Mandrekar said the Bardez sub-district, which has popular beaches such as Baga, Calangute, Candolim, Sinquerim and Anjuna, was under severe threat, with a 7.75-km stretch being eaten away by erosion.

All of the beaches are a short distance from state capital Panaji.

Mandrekar said the grounding of a cargo vessel at Candolim beach in 2000 was one of the major reasons why erosion had hit Bardez.

"The grounding of the ship, River Princess, at an angle to the shoreline was the main cause of soil erosion along the Candolim and Sinquerim coastline," Mandrekar said in reply to a question by Congress legislator Reginaldo Lourenco.

Other affected coastal sub-districts are Pernem, home to Arambol and Morjim, and Salcete with its Benaulim and Colva beaches.

According to the Water Resource Department, 25.02 km of the beach area has been severely affected by erosion, which is almost one-fourth of the state's 105-km coastline.