As the monsoon continued to remain active in the coastal region, waters of the raging Arabian Sea entered the construction site of the proposed seawater desalination plant of Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd., near Tannirbhavi here on Friday.
The bund between the sea and the seawater inlet sump for the proposed plant must have given way, said MRPL spokesperson Rudolph Noronha. The incident was not desirable, albeit the damage could be undone subsequently, he said.
Mr. Noronha told The Hindu that the inlet sump was being constructed inside the project site, about 35 m from the seashore. There was a bund about 25 m wide between the sump and the sea that got breached, he said.
The immediate concern was about the three makeshift tents erected by some migrant labourers who were working for someone attached to the site’s compound wall, Mr. Noronha said. The erosion has gone close to the compound wall on the southern side of the site. If it collapses, the three tents may get damaged.
MRPL has made alternative accommodation and food arrangement for the labourers in the nearby school for a couple of days, he said. There was no loss of equipment or injuries to workers, he added.
Mangaluru city north MLA Y. Bharath Shetty visited the site and gave directions to officials to take steps for safety of residents of the area as well as the plant.
Elsewhere in the coastal region, the sea continued to play spoilsport with shores witnessing massive erosion.
The Someshwara-Batapady fishing village road was completely damaged near Batapady with connectivity to Batapady being fully cut. The location had been witnessing erosion since a couple of years and last month the road was at the brink of getting eroded.