Udupi: Udupi deputy commissioner of Police V. Ponnuraj said on Tuesday that nine boats had overturned in rough seas on Monday. As many as six fishermen had gone missing. Of them, the bodies of two had been recovered. There was no trace of the rest, he said.

Speaking at a meeting chaired by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy here, Mr. Ponnuraj said normally fishermen in coastal districts had an off-season of 57 days. But this year the monsoon started early. As a result, fishermen who had gone to sea were stranded there.

Nearly 350 boats from Mangalore and Malpe had gone out for fishing, he said. Most fishermen had returned with their boats. Officials were getting confirmation from the families of the fishermen if they (fishermen) had returned, he added.

As soon as information about the crisis at sea came in on Monday, the district administration contacted the Coast Guard. The Coast Guard could not immediately go to the rescue of the fishermen because of the rough weather, Mr. Ponnuraj said.

Deputy Commandant of Coast Guards Nithin Rathore said considering the bad weather, the reaction time of the Coast Guard was fast. A Coast Guard vessel had rescued six fishermen. The body of a missing fisherman Chandra (26), resident of Bhatkal in Uttara Kannada, was found at Kodikanyana beach in the district on Tuesday. The body of a fisherman Thimappa had been found at the same place on Monday.

Mr.Kumaraswamy said he would call a meeting in Bangalore shortly of the representatives of people of Udupi district to discuss the problem of silt accumulation at the Malpe Fisheries Harbour, which had made it difficult for fishing boats to enter the harbour during the storm in the sea.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said while Rs. 1 lakh would be given as relief to the families of the dead fishermen, he would make efforts to give additional relief of Rs. 1 lakh for each of the families. The Government would find a permanent solution to the problem of beach erosion whether or not the Union Government supported it, Mr. Kumaraswamy said.

Mangalore Staff Correspondent reports:

On sea erosion, Mr. Kumaraswamy said the Government would find a permanent solution to the problem on priority. A Rs. 160-crore proposal sent by the State was pending with the Union Government for approval. Even if the Union Government refused to allocate the funds for the proposal, the State would implement the proposal.

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