Mohan Kuthar

Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Oct 14: Though crores of rupees are spent on resolving the issue of sea erosion at Ullal and Someshwar beach on the outskirts of the city, no permanent solution for the problem is found yet.

Around 250 meters of land area at Mogaveerapatna of Ullal and the complete land area near Someshwar beach is on the verge of getting washed away by sea. There was no problem of sea erosion at Ullal 30 years ago. Brake water was installed at Bengre and Ullal part of 525 meter length each. After the installation of break water this issue has cropped up. The sand that is supposed to end up on the shore scientifically is not reaching the shore at all. So the sea is eroding the land. Though the residents of this area built their houses 700 meter away from the original sea shore, now the sea has reached up to their verandah.

The work of erecting stones to prevent sea erosion was undertaken. Crores of rupees spent on this project are now washed away into the sea. Due to the constant protests and legal fight for finding a permanent solution to the problem, the state government released a grant of Rs 227 crore in 2010. Plan was formed to make two reefs and strengthen the break water. However, as two meter of break water was retained, Rs 45 crore spent on the same went in vain. Accumulation of sand continued in the river gate. This resulted in capsizing of fishing boats.

Locals say that the reef that is built in the north is 600 meters away from the beach and is 360 meters in length. The reef on the south is 700 meters away from the sea shore and is also 360 meters in length. There is a distance of 1050 meters between both the reefs. Earlier the waves used to hit the shore at the same speed. Now they are lashing at the houses at Mogaveerapatna from three sides. The waves are lashing to areas of Hilarianagar, Subhashnagar and Ombathu Kere areas after the reefs were installed.

In the Trench-2 project, a further Rs 150 crore grant was spent. However, due to the unscientific work, preventing waves from lashing to houses could not be contained. Fishermen say that the reefs should have been constructed at 300 meters from the shore and both reefs should have been built in a distance of 260 meters between them. So far Rs 381 crore is spent on funds that were allotted to prevent sea erosion at Ullal.

Bharath Kumar Ullal, president of Hadinalkupatna Mogaveera Samyuktha Sabha says, “Though crores of rupees are spent on preventing sea erosion at Ullal, permanent solution is not at sight. The work of putting river sand on Ullal sea beach is dropped. The sand that is supposed to enter the sea from the river is not getting into the sea. Due to the installation of reefs, the catch of traditional fishermen has increased.”

Former MLA of Suratkal Vijayakumar Shetty says, “When S M Krishna was the chief minister of Karnataka in the year 2000, a delegation was sent from the state to France to study the sea erosion process. I, the then minister for minor irrigation Vasanth Salian and officials of the department were in the team. Our team had submitted a report to the government of the successful steps taken in France to prevent sea erosion. If the project was done on the report submitted by our delegation which was sent to France, this issue would have been solved permanently.”