Geologists conduct final phase of study in Kodagu

A team of senior Geologists from Geological Survey of India (GSI) have taken up the final phase of the study to figure out the accurate reason for the landslides which shook Kodagu last August.

The team is now gathering information from various sites in the district affected by landslides. The opinion of local residents is also being collected.

Senior Geologist Sunandan Basu, Amar Jyothi and Jamir Ahmed Shah are part of the team. The team is expected to submit its report to the government in June.

A team from GSI had submitted a primary report to the district administration and to the government, after conducting a study soon after the landslides last year.

As another round of study was sought by the government, studies are now being conducted in Madapura, Kandanakolli, Hattihole, Iggodlu, Mukkodlu and Hemmattala villages.

On Tuesday, the geologists took up a study in Meghattal village.

Mud and stones from the spot of the landslides and from the place where the river has changed its course were collected as samples. The study will involve long-time precautionary measures to be taken up by the district administration.

The possibility of future habitation in the 39 villages under the jurisdiction of the four Gram Panchayat in Madikeri and Somwarpet taluks hit by the natural calamity is also looked into.

The experts from GSI said that two more months are required for site inspection and lab research. The reports will be submitted to the government in June after consolidating the information.

Second Monnangeri and Jodupala have suffered a series of landslides. The top layer of the soil and the formation of the land in the areas will be studied in detail during the study.

The primary report submitted by the team led by GSI director K V Maruthi and comprising of senior geologists Ankur Kumar Srivastav and Sunandan Basu had concluded that human interference and deforestation led to landslides.

The report had pointed out that the natural hills were bulldozed to construct roads, houses, homestays and resorts. The unscientific levelling of hills was the main reason for the large scale landslides. The natural flow of the river was obstructed, said the report.