Click to play videoMangalore: While the rains bring with it a lot of joy, for the fishermen of Ullal, near coastal Mangalore, monsoon means misery as their work gets hampered and houses washed away.
So, for fishermen like Pushparaj, life is miserable because during these three months of the year, the swelling seas make it difficult for them to venture into the sea, restricting their fishing activities close to the coastal areas.
Naturally, the catch is scant and so is the money. Besides, there's huge loss of life and property every monsoon due to sea erosion.
“We do the old style of fishing by throwing nets. Since Ullal has this erosion problem, we cannot do any work during the monsoons. Every year politicians come here but nothing is done. Sand bags are put but that is no permanent solution,” Pushparaj said.
According to official sources, since 1983, the sea has eroded nearly 500 metres of land.
In the Ullal-Kotepura region alone, the sea has swallowed up over 200 houses and several fish-processing units over the past 20 years and fishermen say, the authorities have only offered temporary solutions.
“They have put small stones to stop the water but the water increases and dislodges the stones, so it's no help at all,” another fisherman complained.
Meanwhile, Ullal MLA, U T Khader assured that action is being taken, “Three mini break-water formations are necessary otherwise even the sea wall will not be resistant. We have requested the state government and the Chief Minister and the Deputy CM have also visited and they have promised mini break-water and temporary relief have also been sanctioned.”
The monsoons may have arrived this year but for the fishermen of Ullal, it's raining misery once again.
(With inputs from Abbas Kinya)
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