BENGALURU: The pre-monsoons are already here, and monsoons are barely two months away. This is the season when landslides occur, but the measures to prevent such disasters are conspicuous by their absence, even as the Karnataka State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has increased the number of landslide-prone sites in the state to 82 from the previous 75.
The KSDMA’s new list of landslide-prone sites includes Kodagu, Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and Hassan, to which have been added such sites in Mangaluru, Belagavi, Londa and areas bordering Goa. These sites are witnessing intense infrastructure works. The KSDMA has alerted district administrations to take up landslide prevention measures, but to no avail. KSDMA Commissioner, S Honamma, confirmed that circulars pertaining to anti-landslides precautions that need to be taken during the pre-monsoon and monsoon period have been issued to the deputy commissioners.
On July 16 last year, a catastrophic landslide occurred near Shirur on National Highway 66, which runs almost north–south along the west coast of India, parallel to the Western Ghats. Among the eight who died was a truck driver whose body was found in the adjacent Gangavathi river. After the tragedy, the KSDMA had red-flagged erroneous methods with which hills were cut at dangerous angles to lay or expand ghat roads, besides other construction activities for infrastructure development.
‘Sand bags kept in flood-prone spots’
“But we see the same continuing. The use of large JCBs for clearing boulders to lay roads in the hills continues,” a senior KSDMA official informed TNIE, requesting not to be named. Despite that the state government and the agencies concerned have remained apathetic towards it.
“The prolonged dry spell from November-March should have been utilised to keep sand bags in flood-prone locations, putting nets on landslide-prone slopes and pruning branches in angles on those slopes,” he said. Another KSDMA official said, “We have had multiple meetings with district administrations, and nodal officers have been identified. While precautionary measures have been listed, nothing has been done on the ground to mitigate the problems.”
Meanwhile, explaining delays in implementing landslide-prevention measures, National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), Regional Officer, Karnataka, Vilas Brahmankar, said, “We need land around the roads for works. Execution of works takes time as survey and land acquisition takes time.” He said in the case of Shirur and Udupi, surveys took 3-4 months to complete, and implementation of works took around 9-10 months. Tenders for improving the road works have been called for Sakleshpur and Hassan.
Explaining the list of protection works needed along highways, Brahmankar said slope protection, angling of the hills, flatting the slopes, creating drain works, putting pipes and tightening the soil are some of them. The NHAI is taking the help of the National Institute of Rock Mechanism for protecting vulnerable locations.
Along NH-66, the NHAI with the Geological Survey of India has identified 12 sites. But stressing the need to implement landslide-prevention works, KSDMA appealed to people already making vacation plans to hill stations, to follow safety measures.