Fishermen halt work on Kulai fishing harbour NMPA avers erosion and loss of time

Mangaluru: The ongoing building of the Southern and Northern breakwaters at Kulai Fishing Harbour, which is overseen by the New Mangalore Port Authority (NMPA), has run into serious difficulties as a result of demands from the local fishing community for an early completion of the project. The 262-meter-long Southern Breakwater is almost finished, and construction of the 831-meter-long Northern Breakwater has reached 560 metres.

Tetrapod installation, a crucial component of wave protection, is almost finished on the Southern Breakwater, and it is completed up to 300 metres on the Northern Breakwater. In spite of this, on October 14, 2024, about one hundred fishermen demonstrated in favour of halting the current construction.

In response, a meeting was held on October 16, 2024, chaired by NMPA Chairperson Dr. A.V. Ramana, with the involvement of local representatives including MP Capt. Brijesh Chowta, MLAs Dr. Bharath Y. Shetty and Sri. Yashpal Suvarna, as well as local fishermen, experts from the Central Institute of Coastal Engineering for Fishery (CICEF), Central Water and Power Research Station (CWPRS), and representatives from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK), Surathkal.

The fishermen expressed their displeasure with the evaluations and guarantees given by the specialists from CWPRS, CICEF, and NMPA during the meeting. They insisted that work on the breakwaters cease right away, even after much deliberation.

Officials from the NMPA voiced worries about the possible harm that might result from an abrupt stop to construction, particularly on the Northern Breakwater. Strong waves and currents run the risk of dislodging the core material used in the breakwater's exposed western arm, which is now exposed without the armour stones and tetrapods. Additionally, NITK experts cautioned that halting the work at this point might cause the core material to wash away and cause serious harm.

The NMPA emphasised that since the necessary safety precautions to stabilise the breakwater have not yet been finished, any future deterioration brought on by the work stoppage should not be ascribed to the authority or the calibre of the construction.

The demands of the fishermen and the port's worries about the breakwaters' structural integrity are at odds, and the issue is still unresolved.