Around 10 families have been living in houses built on government land along the beach in Sea Road near Ullal for the last few years. These are the families affected by sea erosion in the Ullal area.
Some of the residents of these houses on Wednesday expressed fear of the damage likely to follow the rise in sea level to the Health and Family Welfare Minister U.T. Khader. A large track of land in the area has been washed away already. A sea wall has not been placed in this area.
Hearing their pleas, Mr. Khader asked revenue authorities to prepare a proposal for relocating these residents to a safe area. “This is the first time in the last few years that sea erosion has been witnessed in this area,” Mr. Khader said.
Earlier, Mr. Khader went around areas in Ullal that had been affected by sea erosion. In Mogaveerpatna, residents showed him a portion of the recently laid sea wall placed a few weeks ago, that had been washed away, letting sea water seep into a few houses.
Similar scenes were seen in Kodi, Kotepura and near Summer Sands resort. Mr. Khader directed officials to immediately take up the work of repairing the sea wall at portions that has been washed away. He walked a long distance along the beach to see the damage caused by sea erosion. He also visited places near Someshwar beach where large tracks of land have eroded because of sea erosion.
Mr. Khader said an estimate was being prepared to take up protection work at new places where damage has been seen because of sea erosion and gusty winds. Work to repair the washed away portion will also be taken up. “This estimate will be placed before Minister for Textiles, Ports and Inland Transport Baburao Chinchansur and Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The works will start at the earliest,” he said.
Permanent solution
Mr. Khader said a permanent solution for sea erosion has been worked out. It was proposed to spend Rs. 232 crore on works that includes realignment of two breakwaters. He would discuss the proposal with Mr. Chinchansur and Mr. Siddaramaiah, he said.
