UDUPI: Environmentalists and local residents at Kodi beach in Kundapur, Udupi district, are a worried lot after noticing deposits of black and slimy tar balls along the shore. Environmentalists here say that they have been observing the sea water become oily for the last three weeks. Churning of currents on high seas might have pushed these sticky and oily tar balls to the shore, they suspect.
Dr Durgaprasad Hegde, an orthopaedic surgeon by profession and an environmental activist, said that it was worrying to see sea water mixed with oil at Kodi beach. ‘’Some visitors to the beach have experienced skin irritation and itching too. This is also detrimental to marine life,” he said. Ashish Reddy MV, DCF, Kundapur division, told The New Indian Express that action will have to be taken under the Environment Protection Act by the pollution control board. He added that he will bring the incident to the notice of Udupi Deputy Commissioner Kurma Rao M.