Plan for landslide prevention in Uttara Kannada district pending with Centre for 8 months

Hubballi: Uttara Kannada district has reported at least five landslides in the last couple of days, including the one at the mouth of a tunnel on National Highway 66 near Karwar on Friday.

With copious rains lashing the district, there is fear of more such landslides in future.

A proposal sent by the district administration to take up landslide prevention measures at 98 most vulnerable spots to the central government hasn’t received any response in the last eight months. The proposal has estimated a cost of Rs 102 crore for the works.

Following the devastating landslide at Shirur village near Ankola in July last year that killed nine people, the union government had written to the state government and the district administration to form a landslide mitigation action plan committee consisting of experts to identify the most vulnerable landslide spots in the district and suggest preventive measures.

Based on this, the district administration, in consultation with Geological Society of India, National Institute of Rock Mechanics and various engineering departments of the administration, identified 98 locations, including areas next to hospitals and schools that urgently need retention walls and drainages to reduce the impact of landslides.

“Uttara Kannada district has 439 spots vulnerable to landslides. Based on inputs from the experts’ committee, which visited a majority of these spots, we identified 98 locations that need immediate attention to prevent loss of lives or properties,” said Uttara Kannada deputy commissioner Lakshmipriya K.

According to documents available with DH, the committee had submitted the proposal to the state and central governments in September 2024. “So far, we have not received any funds,” she said.

As a stop-gap measure the district administration has appointed 220 spotters consisting of forest department personnel, gram panchayat members and revenue department staff to monitor all vulnerable spots on rainy days and inform the administration in case of geological changes there.

“We are getting real-time inputs on rainfall. We have also asked the National Highways Authority of India officials to monitor the 19 locations that are susceptible to landslide. Parking or halting of vehicles has been banned at these locations. We are also clearing encroachment in these places,” Lakshmipriya said.

Based on historical data, the government has identified 1,351 villages prone to landslides in seven districts of coastal and Malnad regions.

Sources in Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) told DH that a proposal of Rs 110 crore to take up landslide mitigation measures had been sent to the central government and details were available with the state government, but no action had been initiated. 

KSNDMC commissioner Hasanamba said, “Based on experts’ recommendation and scrutinisation of works, we sent a proposal of Rs 110 crore to the central government. So far, we have not heard from them.”