Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, Dec 4: Mogaveerapatna near Ullal used to be the place that was worst hit whenever sea erosion occurred. But this time, about 75 percent of the area has withstood the surging sea.

Two reefs built under ADB scheme between Kotepura and Mogaveerapatna have withstood the waves and saved Mogaveerapatna this time. The very landscape of the beach at Mogaveerapatna has got transformed with several preexisting pits having been filled, while several others having been newly created. As several coconut trees near Feribail got uprooted, a big crater has been created there.

As the fury of the sea subsided on Sunday, many people living near the sea, who had shifted to safer plaes, returned to their bases. They have been provided temporary accommodation at Bovi school, Uchchila.

The people say that the district administration, which had carried out mock drill in the past to handle natural disasters at Uchchila beach, was found groping for measures when the need to act arose on Saturday. Like in the past, it had not kept the items needed to handle such exigencies although there was advance warning about such an eventuality this time.

Normally, country boats are moored on the seashore at Mogaveerapatna. But as the sea turned rough on Saturday, fishermen shifted all the boats to safer places. This work was coordinated by the local Mogaveera Samaja at night. This measure succeeded in saving these boats from certain disaster.