Government to find permanent solution to sea erosion: Palemar

Mangalore Today News Network

Ullal, June 13: District-in-charge Minister Krishna J Palemar said that the state government is determined to find permanent solutions for the coastline’s sea erosion problem, adding that the government intends to construct seawalls in areas prone to sea erosion in all the three districts, a project that will cost Rs 911 crore.  

 

 

 

 

 

After visiting the erosion-prone regions of Mogaveera Patna and Kotepura on June 13, Sunday, the minister told reporters that 70 percent of the required funds will be borrowed from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the other 30 percent will be provided by the state and union governments. 

Assuring that the government will release Rs 223 crore for the initial phase of the project for Ullal once it receives the cabinet’s approval, the minister said that work will commence at the beginning of November 2010. He said that stones will be laid temporarily next week in areas where previously laid stones have gone underground. 

Noting that several houses along the coastline are in danger of collapse, he said that the government had released a sum of Rs 1 crore to temporarily fix the problem last year and that the work was completed on time. This year, the stones have gone underground and the problem requires to be fixed on a temporary basis once again, for which the government is ready to bear the expenses. 

MLA U. T. Khader, who had accompanied Palemar, said that the dwellers of the erosion-prone areas will be evacuated temporarily if required and that the government has assured that it will take adequate measures to protect life and property near the dangerous areas. 

The monsoons, which are currently intensifying, have already created a lot of damage to areas such as Mogaveera Pattana, Caico, Kotepura, and other regions of Ullal. The rough seas have eroded the coastline in a devastating manner. The giant waves of the sea seem to be trying to swallow the houses along the coastline. 

Residents have reported that dozens of palm trees have been uprooted and washed away because of the rough seas. A few houses have already been damaged and one is about to collapse. Needless to say, sea erosion will destroy several houses in Mogaveera Patna and Kadapura; and the residents have been asked to take precautions.