The Hindu Business Line : 400 fishing boats stranded in coastal Karnataka

Addressing a press conference here on Monday, the Karnataka Fisheries Minister, Mr B. Nagaraja Shetty, said that he has already contacted the Coast Guard authorities to bring back the fishermen to shore safely. Coast Guard has been requested to send ships to search and rescue the boats.

The Karnataka Medical Education Minister, Dr V.S. Acharya, who is district in-charge minister of Udupi and Uttara Kannada, said that he has requested the Coast Guard to use helicopters to rescue the fishermen, if necessary.

Mr Shetty said that the rough weather along the minor ports prevented the fishermen from approaching the shore. Following this, arrangements have been made to provide entry for mechanised fishing boats to New Mangalore Port. Around 100 mechanised fishing boats have been allowed to enter New Mangalore Port in the last two days, on an emergency basis.

Quoting official reports, he said that two fishing boats with six members that ventured into the sea from the Malpe fishing harbour are missing.

SEA EROSION

Referring to the problems of sea erosion in some points along coastal Karnataka, he said a permanent solution has to be found for this problem. Though sand bags were used last year to prevent sea erosion in those points, they did not help much. He suggested that boulders be used for the construction of sea walls in those points. He hoped that the problem of sea erosion would be permanently solved by September.

RS 6 CRORE SOUGHT

The Minister said that he had requested the Chief Minister, Mr H.D. Kumaraswamy, and the Deputy Chief Minister, Mr B.S. Yediyurappa, to release Rs 6 crore to take up immediate relief works along coastal Karnataka. Of the three districts, Dakshina Kannada is the worst affected.

It needs Rs 3 crore for relief works. Other districts such as Udupi and Uttara Kannada require Rs 2 crore and Rs 1 crore, respectively, he said.

The Minister blamed the authorities of Mangalore City Corporation (MCC) and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) for flash floods in some parts of Mangalore. The MCC officials did not take adequate measures to clean the drainages in the city. Following this, flash floods were witnessed in some parts of the city in the last two days.

Though NHAI was instructed not to close drains while taking up the work on road widening along the national highway between Mangalore and Bantwal, the authorities did not give much attention to this. This has led to floods along the NH 48 also, he added.

More Stories on : Aquaculture | Climate & Weather | Karnataka

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