Karwar, February 3: The state’s only ladies beach of the British era near Karwar town in Uttara Kannada district is about to be closed. Reason, the Indian Navy is constructing a road leading to INS Kadamba Naval base, also popularly known as Seabird.
The local villagers believe that the proposed road will block the entry into the ladies beach apart from preventing them from venturing to the sea for fishing. The villagers of Baithkol village have approached the District Administration for help. They want the DC and other officers to request the Navy authorities to stop constructing the road.
However, the Navy authorities have their own reason. The road is necessary to reach the Watch Tower built at a vantage point in order to monitor the movement of ships and boats in the sea. “The Watch Tower is a must going by the security threat from the terrorists. In order to approach the Watch Tower, a road is necessary. We can construct the road without any problem to the hillock but we cannot stop the road from constructing,” Navy officers have told the DC and CEO of Karwar district.
But the villagers maintain that the road, proposed to be built just beside a small hillock. “In 2011 during monsoon, another hillock in Khadwada had caved in after a road was laid. Now who will be responsible if the hillock caves in?” asked Satish Sail, a former MLA, who has taken up the issue with the District Administration.
The problem is two-fold. One, the construction of the proposed road can lead to the collapse of the hillock and landlides. Two, the road effectively blocks access to the ladies beach.
An exclusive ladies beach is of the British era. It was reserved for British women for sunbathing and swimming and the local population were not allowed to the ladies beach even during the British regime.
After series of meetings with the villagers and the Naval officers, the DC has said that he will constitute a team of experts to study if there can be a via media to settle the dispute.
When asked if the Naval authorities had violated any provisions of the law pertaining to forest as alleged by the former MLA and villagers, the DC said, “There is no violation on the part of the Navy. They are doing their job on the land allotted to them. The forest department has demarcated the boundary”
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