Daijiworld Media Network - Udupi (SP)

Udupi, Jul 1: Minister for ports, Babu Rao Chinchansur, told ministers and people's representatives from coastal Karnataka that an emergency action plan with an outlay of Rs 35 crore has been drawn to temporarily block affects of surging waves in Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada districts. This promise came during his meeting with ministers and people's representatives from coastal districts for holding consultation on the situation regarding sea erosion on Tuesday June 30. The meeting had been convened at Suvarna Vidhansoudha at Belagavi.

'The government will be taking preemptive steps against loss to property and life posed by sea erosion. Instructions have been issued to form teams of officials to personally visit places, and collect actual facts, and send reports. Based on these reports, steps would be taken against sea erosion. The chief minister would be personally requested to release grant required for this work,' Chinchansur explained.

The minister said that as per the preliminary estimate, loss due to sea erosion in the three districts has been put at Rs 35 crore, which includes Rs 14 crore in Dakshina Kannada, Rs 13 crore in Udupi, and seven crore rupees in Uttara Kannada. Action plans are being framed to handle threats of sea erosion at specific places in these districts, he added.

He said that officials have already been told to take emergency protective measures, and to respond to the problems of the people swiftly.

Forest minister, B Ramanath Rai, health minister, U T Khader, MLA, Sharada Shetty, MLC, Ivan D'Souza, and senior officials of ports department were present at the meeting.