Devil from the deep

it is feared that Mangalore in Karnataka would sooner or later be swallowed up by the Arabian Sea if a 'sea wall' is not erected along the small stretch of land separating the Nethravathi river from the rolling waves. Even a minor cyclone would be enough to submerge the land separating the river and the sea. Several political groups have urged the state government to take immediate measures in order to prevent the sea from encroaching into human habitats.

This year, four godowns of dry fish have already been washed away and eleven others are 'on the verge of collapse', says U T Ahmed Sharief, president of the Dry Fish Processing and Marketing Association.

It would cost Rs 2 crores to erect a sea wall along the 960-metre 'danger zone'. Amarnath H Rathod, executive engineer of the Minor Irrigation Division, says that a proposal has been already submitted to the government in 1997. However, the government has not issued a tender to take-up construction of a 110-metre wall in the area.