Minister for Fisheries, Ports and Inland Water Transport and Udupi district in charge S. Angara said on Wednesday that the State government is planning to try out duck foot and sea wave breaker technologies to mitigate sea erosion at different locations along the coast in Karnataka.
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Addressing presspersons after a meeting with senior officials of the Udupi district administration to review the rain damage situation, the Minister said that he will meet Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai on July 10 and submit two project proposals to him.
Mr. Angara said at some places, along the 320-km long shoreline, like Uchila near Ullal in Dakshina Kannada, sea wave breaker technology can be implemented on an experimental basis and at some places like Maravanthe in Udupi district, the duck foot technology may be implemented. Based on their success, the two technologies may be introduced in other places of erosion.
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To a question, the Minister said that sea wave breaker technology will cost about ₹25 crore to cover a kilometre of seashore. Mr. Angara said that he is yet to collect information on the implementation cost of the duck foot technology.
‘‘The sea wave breaker technology has been implemented at Nellikunnu in Kasaragod, Kerala. While visiting Nellikunnu recently, I met U.K. Yoosuf, a Kasaragod-based businessman who pitched the idea of introducing that technology in Nellikunnu. A project report on this technology has been submitted to Mr. Bommai who has asked the Chief Secretary to check the feasibility of the project,” he said.
The Minister said that the Chief Minister has stressed to find out a permanent solution to protect the coastal line from sea erosion.
Mr. Angara said that he visited places like Bhatkal, Kumta, Karwar in Uttara Kannada district to assess the damage caused from sea erosion apart from visiting affected shoreline in Udupi and Dakshina Kannada districts. Later he met the Chief Minister on July 4.
The Minister said that during the visit Mr. Bommai also told him to submit a report on the quick temporary measures which can be taken up to prevent sea erosion. ‘‘Deputy Commissioners of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada will submit their reports to me on the ground situation and the same will be submitted to the Chief Minister for release of funds,’’ he said.