Udupi: Gangolli in Udupi district has over the years emerged into a prominent port witnessing busy fishing activities round the season. But there is something to worry. Accidents have been on the rise in the Gangolli-Alive region and entry of ships towards the port stopped after a ship carrying tiles capsized in the estuary.
Though some development has taken place after Rs 8.32 crore was allocated for developing mini fishing port utilizing Central and state funds and renovation of harbor and brake water taken up, the problem persisted mainly because of the failure to conduct dreading operations.
There is no denying that the estuary here has proved dangerous for fishermen. If dredging works were done as back as 1972, since then nothing much has been done. Reports say over the years at least 50 persons have died of drowning here.
This has led to a sharp decline in the arrival of number of boats into Gangolli port in turn affecting the development of the port. Though there has been a proposal for the construction of a brake water at a cost of around Rs 120 crore, the funds have not been sanctioned yet. Fishermen say that there was a proposal to construct a 1.2-km long breakwater in Gangolli and another one in Kodi stretching 1.5 km. But nothing concrete has emerged so far.