Kateel inspects erosion-affected areas in DK

Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel visited the coastal erosion-affected areas of Ucchila, Someshwara, Bhattampady and Ullal on Thursday.

Speaking to the media, he said coast erosion was increasing each year. A meeting would be convened to discuss ways to expedite a permanent solution as part of the Asian Development Bank-funded Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Project on Friday. The officials were asked to provide compensation to families affected by sea erosion, he said, adding that rough seas had destroyed several houses over the years.

The Central government had sanctioned grants under the Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Project to find permanent solutions to sea erosion.

“As there is no technical guidance, problems continue in affected areas. Locals are demanding a permanent solution to sea erosion,” he said.

The work under the Sustainable Coastal Protection and Management Project was incomplete. “The off-shore reef work is incomplete. As a result, the intensity of sea erosion at Someshwara and Ucchila has increased. I will urge the Centre to take up the work on additional reefs to check sea erosion,” he added.

Tweets

Urging Prime Minister Narendra Modi to help sea erosion victims, Charithra Kumar, a resident of Ucchila has tweeted. He has urged the PMO, Home Minister Amit Shah, Karnataka Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy and MP Nalin Kumar Kateel to help them.

“There are allegations that district administration is inactive even after an increase in sea erosion in Ucchila and Ullal,” he alleged.

Someshwara Gram Panchayat President Rajesh Ucchila said the work on a berm under ADB-funded project has remained incomplete.

Roopesh, a resident, alleged that breakwater constructed at Ucchila was unscientific.

Fury continues

Sea erosion continued at Someshwara, Ucchila, Kaiko, Kileriyanagara and Ullal.

Five houses were washed away in Kileriyanagara in Ullal on Thursday. As many as 49 houses at Kaiko, Kileriyanagara, Mogaveerapattana and Seaground in Ullal and seven in Someshwara are facing threat from sea erosion. Even two mosques are facing threat from continuous lashing of waves.

Houses bonging to Hamid, Badrunnisa, Khatijamma, Sebina and Jainab have been completely damaged. Several coconut trees have been washed away by the waves at Someshwara and Uchila.

City Police Commissioner Sandip Patil visited the sea erosion-affected areas in Ullal.