During the visit of Minister for Ports and Textiles Baburao Chinchansur to Mogaveerapatna in Ullal on Friday, several residents brought to the attention of a pile of gunny sacks that were listlessly being bullied by the rough seas.
The residents claimed that materials for the Rs. 249-crore sea wall project for the district were being washed away even before it started. “The materials are being damaged already. What faith can we have that this project will protect the coast?” asked a resident.
However, engineers from Mott MacDonald, consultants for the project, said the bags were only kept on an “experimental basis.” “These bags are only for testing and does not mark the start of work. One bag is damaged, and some have shifted. But, based on their movements by the end of the monsoon, we can make appropriate design changes,” said an engineer.
