Rs 700-cr action plan to check sea erosion

Speaking to mediapersons here on Monday, Minister for Ports and Ecology Krishna Palemar said the plan will be jointly implemented by the State and Union governments. The Asian Development Bank will provide 70 per cent loan and the balance will be borne by the government.

The Minister said 300 km coastal line has been surveyed for construction of retaining walls. A sum of Rs 264-crore will be utilised in the first phase of the action plan of which Rs 216 cr has been released to Ullal and Rs 14 cr to Mangalore. The balance will be released to Udupi district, he explained.

A project of Rs 2,400 crore has been prepared to check sea erosion in Goa, Karnataka and Kerala. In the first phase, Karnataka will get a sum of Rs 700 crore. The Cabinet has approved the first phase of work under sea erosion project. The work will commence after inviting tenders.

Ten ports under PPP

The Minister said ten ports in the State will be handed over to private sector through the Marine Board to be developed under public-private partnership. At present, these ports fetch an annual revenue of Rs 24 to 28 crore, which would go up to Rs 300 crore if handed over to private operators. The maintenance of Karwar, Tadadi and Belekeri ports will be entrusted to private operators in the first phase followed by  Malpe, Hangarakatte and Gangolli later.

He said the government has sanctioned houses to 5,000 fishermen under Matsyashraya scheme and 1,200 fishermen have got shelters in Udupi district alone.

Palemar said the work on the proposed third phase of Malpe port has commenced. In the first phase, tender has been invited for Rs 52-cr work. A sum of Rs three crore has been released for development of Hangarakatte, Gongolli and Kodikanyana ports.
A proposal of Rs 10 crore for the development of Koderi port and Rs 15 crore for Karwar port has been submitted to the government. Also, Rs 57 crore has been sanctioned to Mangalore fisheries port, he said.