Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru (MS)

Mangaluru, Aug 31: Sea erosion-affected areas are limited for visits by people representatives only when the monsoon arrives. This year, the monsoon is also not harsh and the work of stacking rocks on the edge to prevent sea erosion has also stopped.

During the rule of the previous BJP government, there was a plan to construct sea wave breaker at Battappady in lines of Nellikunnu of Kasargod. However, after study, the project is dropped. At present, a permanent solution is not in sight. Local MLA and speaker of assembly U T Khader and later fisheries minister Mankala Vaidya instructed to resolve the issue by putting rocks into the sea coast.

Accordingly, the ports department also arranged some contractors to carry out the work at the cost of Rs 1.6 crore. However, the contractors stopped their work midway as they did not get any funds from the ports department even after completion of 50% of the proposed work. This means that the old tradition still continues. Now the amount that needs to be paid to the contractors has shot up to Rs 25.14 crore.

In 2018-19, the Someshwar area saw severe sea erosion and rocks were put immediately to a stretch of 2.3 km. However, the government did not approve the project and the amount is still pending to be paid. In later years, the funds for all the work that is done has kept on piling.

Fisheries and ports minister instructed the deputy commissioner (DC) to provided funds of Rs 1.6 crore of this year’s proposed work. However, the DC said that it is not possible as there is no such opportunity to pay directly from the DC funds. Hence, he has written a letter to the government.