Mangaluru: 11 multi-purpose cyclone shelters will be established at different locations in the three karavali districts of the state to provide safety and refuge to the public during a natural calamity like cyclone. These shelters will be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs. 35 crore and will have the capacity to accommodate 500-1000 people.

For the establishment of the shelters, the National Cyclone Risk Mitigation Project (NCRMP) will provide Rs. 128 crore on its behalf. The total time for the project is from 2015-20. The construction of the 11 shelters is mostly expected to be completed by December 2019.

In Mangaluru, two shelters will be at Hosabettu G.P. limits and in the premises of Ullal Ombattulere School respectively, two shelters at Tekkatte School in Udupi and at the premises of Kaup junior college respectively and 7 more shelters at various locations in Karwar. The construction of all the shelters is currently in progress.

The shelters are being constructed at the distance of 5kms from the sea. There are separate recreational rooms, rest rooms, bathrooms and kitchen for men and women in these shelters. Also the shelters have been designed to adjustwith respect to their particular areas. With the aim to make use of the shelters for school children activities when there is no emergency, the shelters have been created in school premises.

This project is financed by the World Bank and the central government has released it to the state government. The state government has already received Rs. 36 crore of which Rs. 20 crore has been released to the district commissioners of the three districts. Another Rs. 20 crore will be release in the next week. The funds will be released in phases, informed NCRMP project manager Sudhakar Shetty.

The project is being established in 13 coastal states of India. The first phase will cover Andhra Pradesh and Odisha, second phase will cover Karnataka, Maharashtra, Gujarat and other 6 states and in the third phase will cover Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, and other states. The schematic have been created and will be implemented through the State Disaster Management Authority. The Revenue Department will be the Nodal Department for this project and the district Commissioner will handle the chief responsibility.