New Delhi, July 15 -- With rising sea levels, stronger storm surges and more frequent extreme weather events reshaping coastal risks, India is moving to rewrite the engineering rulebook governing one of the most critical components of its port infrastructure.

The Department of Consumer Affairs, through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), is working on developing India's first dedicated national standard for the planning, design and construction of breakwaters, which are massive offshore structures that protect ports from waves, storm surges and coastal erosion, two people aware of the development said.

The proposed code seeks to establish a uniform engineering framework for designing breakwaters while reducing India's dependence on fo...