Mangaluru: Seawater entered the proposed desalination plant, being built near Tannirbhavi here on Friday night after a protective wall constructed between the Arabian Sea and the seawater inlet sump reportedly got damaged due to sea erosion.

The desalination plant is being set up by Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd in order to reduce its dependency on freshwater during the summer season. The scarcity of water has impacted the operations at the plant in the past and hence the proposed project.

Meanwhile, makeshift tents built for labourers here are also facing the danger of collapse due to sea erosion. They have been shifted to Kulur school and food arrangement have been made for a couple of days.