Cyclone Ockhi: Raging sea damages houses, uproots trees near Mangaluru

Mangaluru, Dec 3: The fury of Cyclone Ockhi, that left a trail of destruction in neighbouring Kerala, has threatened the fishermen and people living the coastal areas of Dakshina Kannada district as the raging sea continued to batter the region on Sunday.

The retaining wall built by the government to prevent sea erosion at Peribail, near Uchila, on the outskirts of Mangluru city was washed away on Saturday night. Sea water entered a road, washing away a compound wall. The retaining wall built by a private resort at Ullal was also washed away.

In last 24 hours at least three houses were damaged and nearly two dozen coconut palms were uprooted in Ullal, Someshwar-Uchil areas in Mangaluru taluk.

The Dakshina Kannada district administration has shifted around 45 families to safer places on Saturday night as part of precautionary measures. Revenue officials including the taluk tahsildar and police personnel visited the area and were taking steps to help the affected people, the sources said.

According to A.C. Renuka Prasad, Assistant Commissioner, Mangaluru sub-division, they were accommodated in two nearby schools and a mosque where food was served. They returned to their homes on Sunday morning. If required they would be shifted again on Sunday night.

State Minister for Food and Civil Supplies U T Khader, who represents the Mangaluru constituency comprising Ullal, cancelled his programmes for two days and was monitoring the measures taken by the Dakshina Kannada district administration to tackle the situation.

Indian Coast Guard has warned tourists, fishermen and local residents against venturing into sea in beaches along the coastal belt at least till Tuesday.

Meanwhile, a senior scientist said it was unlikely to cause much havoc in coastal Karnataka as there was not much moisture in the Arabian Sea for the weakening cyclone to draw on. “I don’t think it will be like what is now seen in Kerala and Tamil Nadu,” he said.