Udupi : The tsunami earthquake in Japan has driven crowds of terrified North Karnataka workers, who were employed in Udupi, back to the safety of their homes in North Karnataka. Those who are still in Udupi are making frantic preparations to go back home. Everyday, private buses and KSRTC buses are packed with North Karnataka workers returning home. As a result of this, Udupi is facing severe shortage of work force.
The labourers, terrified by the tsunami that has struck Japan, feel that Udupi will also be hit by a tsunami. The fact that the moon will be nearing the earth on March 19 has added to their fears. Certain that nature might attack in Udupi too, workers in large numbers returned home on March 15 and March 16. Around 1000 workers are believed to have fled Udupi in the past 4 days.
The coastal towns of Mangalore and Udupi depend heavily on work force from North Karnataka owing to shortage of labourers in the twin districts. The population of people from North Karnataka has risen in the coastal towns in the past few years. Usually, labourers from North Karnataka are spotted boarding and alighting from buses in Udupi and Malpe. However, the number of these people has declined in the past few days.
Shekar Kotian, a boat owner in Malpe said that, since the job of carrying baskets of fish was done by labourers from North Karnataka, there is nobody to do this work in the Malpe port now that they have left. Likewise, the number of construction workers has also declined. Raghavendra Kini, a civil contractor, says that people have fled although no official tsunami or earthquake warning has been issued.