'ADB rejects project to check sea erosion in Ullal'

New Zealand based firm was the only bidder to undertake the work, says MLA

Addressing a press meet here on Saturday, he said the sea shore in Mangalore has been fast eroding over decades posing great threat to life, houses and property. Many houses and property have been either damaged or lost every monsoon over a decade and the same is still continuing every monsoon.

He said “a global tender was invited to undertake the work on two multi purpose geotextile reefs and four in shore berms. The ASR Ltd was the only company which participated in the bidding and the tender was given to them. As two of the consultants of ASR Ltd were part of the Project Preparatory Technical Assistant (PPTA) design team of ANZDEC Ltd, New Zealand, who were the design consultants for the PPTA contract, the proposal was rejected by the ADB.
 In reality, ASR consultatnts were not involved in the bid preparation. ASR was the only bidder to undertake the work,” he said.

Though the estimated cost of the project was Rs 160 crore, the Department of Water Resources of the Union government had finally settled for Rs 97.61 crore. Now, once again global tender will be invited within two months for the work. As per the proposal, the work should have been undertaken in four kilometre stretch from Kotepura to Someshwar. The work included construction of reefs, and restoration of the beach. “Though we had asked to call for emergency tender, it could not be carried out as the tender has to appear in the World Trade Journal,” he said.

Dredging
Khader said that the Minister for ports should immediately undertake the work on dredging at estuary in Mangalore old port. The body of the ship which had wrecked in the region should be removed at the earliest to avoid any further mishaps. The filling of the silt in the estuary has created problems to the fishermen who venture into fishing,” he said and added “the State government should pressurise the Centre and the ministers concerned to direct NMPT to allow fishermen who are in distress inside the port.”

He said in Kerala, dredging process is leased out to an individual for a year.

Abbakka Utsav
As 2011 is observed as the 150th year of Indian struggle for Independence, the State government must observe Abbakka Utsav grandeously in the district.

The State government had sanctioned Rs 25 lakh towards Abbakka Utsava last year. The Government should release Rs 50 lakh for Abbakka Utsva this year, he added.