Good rainfall along Karavali; sea erosion intensifies

Team Udayavani, Aug 5, 2019, 12:23 PM IST

Mangaluru: Good rainfall coupled with thunder and lightning was reported from several places along the coast on the evening and night of Sunday August 4. Good rain was witnessed Belthangady, Dharmasthala, Sullia, Puttur, Bantwal, Vittal, Manipal, Karkala, Shirva, Padubidri, Kundapur and other areas. Meanwhile, Bhagamandala in Kodagu district received highest rainfall of 15 cm.

The Indian Meteorological Department has predicted that rainfall will be experienced at most places in coastal Karnataka and a few places in interior Karnataka as well.

Places in the city inundated

Improper maintenance of drainage at places like Bejai, Kottara and Urwa Store in the city caused artificial flooding here. Meanwhile, tourists are not being allowed to enter the sea at Panambur and Tannirbhavi beaches due to the inclement weather.

Sea erosion intensifies

With the sea erosion intensifies along the coast; two families located at near Bhajana Mandir in Chitrapur near Surathkal were relocated. MLA, Dr Bharath Y Shetty, who visited the spot, said that efforts would be made to protect the houses by using sand bags and other measures. The MLA also held discussions about plans to protect the playground of a school near Chitrapur that is affected by the rough sea.

There are plans to stack boulders on the seashore in remaining parts of the seashore at a cost of Rs 350 crore and that the issue will be discussed with the chief minister, said the MLA speaking with the media.

As an interim measure to save the houses and playground, sand bags were stacked on Sunday. Residents at Mallamar, Baikampady and surrounding areas are in fear due to the re-occurrence of sea erosion here after a gap of many years.

Boulders heaped along the coast as a deterrent to sea erosion have only been washed away by the might of the sea. Sea erosion has also been experienced in Kaiko in Ullal, Hilleria Nagar, Mukkacheri and other areas with uprooting of several coconut trees at Bada Yermal village near Padubidri due to sea erosion.