A pile of mud being cleared using an earthmover on Kadra-Kodasalli Road in Uttara Kannada district.
Credit: DH Photo
Hubballi: After being cut off from the mainland for over a fortnight and without electricity for nearly a month, the residents of Sulgeri village near Kadra reservoir in Uttara Kannada district now have renewed hope. The district administration has finally given the green signal to clear the debris from a landslide that blocked the Kadra-Kodasalli Road near Balemane.
On July 2, a major landslide struck the region, completely isolating Sulgeri village. This road is the only link connecting the 34 families living there to the outside world. The landslide occurred on the right bank of the Kadra backwaters, leaving the community stranded.
Local residents have criticised the district administration and the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) for leaving them ‘in the dark’ for nearly 15 days. However, Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner K Lakshmi Priya defended the delay, saying that the administration was cautious about initiating debris clearance due to the risk of further landslides caused by heavy rains in the area.
“Even the Geological Survey of India officials had advised against taking up rescue work in the initial days as they feared the loose earth may cave in following excess rain,” she said, adding that once the GSI conducted a survey and gave their approval, the administration promptly authorised the clearance work.
Using two earthmovers, the KPCL, responsible for managing the road, began clearing the landslide debris on Wednesday. Officials estimate it will take another three to four days to open the road for use.
Chain reaction
Nagaraj Naik, a resident of Sulgeri village, shared the hardships faced by villagers during this period. “We have been living in darkness for over a month, and for the last 15 days, we have been completely cut off from Kadra, the nearest town. Even two-wheelers can not get through. Our kerosene stock is almost exhausted, and every night we have to rely on candlelight. Our ration supplies are running out since we could not collect them this month from Kadra,” he said.
KPCL Executive Engineer Shankar Kalgeri said clearing the road was initially stalled because the deputy commissioner had prohibited heavy vehicle movement in the landslide-prone area. “The DC held a District Disaster Management Authority meeting on Tuesday and gave permission to proceed. We have deployed two earthmovers, and considering the large volume of earth that has caved in, we expect the clearing to take at least three days,” he explained.
Meanwhile, HESCOM Executive Engineer Roshani Pednekar from Karwar said her team is ready to replace the eight electric poles damaged in the landslide. “However, we cannot bring our equipment and tractor to the site until the road is cleared,” she said.
She also pointed to opposition from villagers near Sulgeri as a cause for the prolonged power outage in Balemane and Sulgeri. “Residents of a neighbouring village have been opposing the laying of power lines through their fields. They even roughed up our staff. Once the road is cleared and we can access the site, we will restore the power connection,” she added.