HUBBALLI : 2024 witnessed major environmental issues like landslides, heavy rainfall and floods, while man-animal conflicts, crop damage and pollution too made noise.
The coastal region and Western Ghats witnessed heavy rainfall during the year, causing almost all rivers to reach danger marks. While the plains witnessed floods, the Ghats saw landslides, even as coastal areas struggled with increasing sea erosion.
The most severe of eco-disasters this year was the landslide at Shirur in Ankola in Uttara Kannada in July. Seven people and a couple of trucks were buried under mounds of earth when an entire hillock caved in. It was so severe that mud crossed river Gangavalli and buried houses on the other side. Experts concluded that it was a man-made disaster, pointing to unscientific cutting of the hill to build the road by the road construction company.
Not just in Shirur, minor landslides were reported from Devimane, Anshi, Kumta, Siddapur and Arbail Ghats in Uttara Kannada. Landslides on Shiradi Ghat stranded vehicles for days. Fortunately, landslips in Kodagu did not cause any casualties and these minor incidents were overshadowed by the incident in Wayanad in Kerala, where 231 people died.
The Geological Survey of India identified 433 spots in Uttara Kannada and 104 in Kodagu as landslide prone. While unscientific development work and deforestation is being blamed for landslides in Uttara Kannada, unchecked encroachment of forests and rapid construction by private entities is said to be endangering Kodagu district’s ecosystem.
Good monsoon a year after drought brought cheer to farmers, but it did not take long to realise that Karnataka was grappling with excess rainfall. As of August, 58 deaths were recorded and 80,000 hectares of crop was damaged due to “above normal” rainfall. In all, 13 districts experienced above-normal rainfall. The state receives an average of 553 mm rainfall, but this year, it was 699 mm as of August 12. Agricultural crops on 78,679 hectares and horticultural crops on 2,294 hectares were damaged. Also, 1,126 houses were completely damaged, while 3,300 houses were either severely or partially damaged by the same period.
Incessant rainfall in several areas of north Karnataka and other catchment areas swelled up Krishna, Mahaprabha, Ghataprabha and Tungabhadra rivers. Thousands of families had to be moved to relief shelters, while nearly a hundred bridges were submerged.
Sea erosion was reported in Karwar, Ankola, Bhatkal, Kumta, Kundapur and other places, while illegal sand mining became an issue in almost all zones in the state.
A few stray incidents of man-animal conflict were reported in Kodagu and Mysuru districts where jumbos raided crops, and tigers strayed into human habitats.Leopard and bear attacks made news in Uttara Kannada’s Joida, Koppal, Ballari and other areas.
Amid the gloom, there was some good news from the government on the environment front. The state cabinet decided not to allow mining in ecologically-sensitive Kappatagudda in Gadag district, where several firms were planning to explore gold and iron ore mining.
Forest, Environment and Ecology Minister Eshwar B Khandre announced on July 2 that 25 crore saplings would be planted by next five years with five crore saplings to be planted every year. This is to promote sustainable development and to increase forest cover, the minister said.