Deccan Herald

• The fishing port, which was established at a cost of Rs 1.35 crore in 1997, has been lying useless as a mute witness to the negligence of elected representatives and officials.

Udupi, Jul 3: The minor fishing port at Hejamady in Udupi taluk is, perhaps, the best example to show the real condition of the government schemes which get launched without any preparation and foresight.

The fishing port, which was established at a cost of Rs 1.35 crore in 1997, has been lying useless as a mute witness to the negligence of elected representatives and officials.

The harbour was inaugurated in 2004, on the sidelines of the general elections. A small berth, canteen, contact road, overhead tank, auction platform and other infrastructure are already over, but the lack of study prior to the execution of the project, has resulted in a situation where boats cannot ground sue to the lack of sufficient backwater.

The officials, later understood that the problem of backwater arose due to a road laid across Shambhavi river to connect Nadi Kudri and Hejamady, but it was too late. However, the officials changed the plan to construct a bridge under NABARD’s assistance, instead of the mud road there.

But now the people started demanding that a wall should be constructed along the river bank to protect their agricultural land against the salt water. Even that was also done. However, the insufficiency of backwater to the fishing harbour remains to be a problem.

A Pune-based CWPRS institute has conducted a survey of the problems haunting the port and submitted a report to the government.

The Port department officials feel that if the second phase of the project is executed on the basis of the survey, the port will serve its original purpose.

The fishermen who purchased new boats and drew loans from commercial banks to improve their business thinking that the new port would fulfil their dreams, are now spending heavy days under financial crunch. It is estimated that if dredging is carried out in the harbour and breakwaters are built along the two sides of the estuary, the port will be of some use for the fishing folk.