Shiroor landslide: NGT seeks reply from NHAI, Ministry of Environment, Forests

New Delhi: The NGT has sought reply from the National Highway Authority of India, Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner regarding the landslide in Shiroor on National Highways-66 in Uttara Kannada district.

The Principal Bench of the NGT headed by its chairperson Justice Prakash Shrivastava took suo-motu cognisance of the preliminary report submitted by the Geological Survey of India (GSI) to the NHAI and Karnataka Government. The GIS in its report pointed out the “unscientific” construction work done by the NHAI on this stretch has caused the landslide.

The NGT also issued notice to the Director General of the GIS as well.

The GIS, in its assessment report said that natural drainage flows were disturbed when slope modifications were carried out to build the highway.

The GIS in its report said that the steep gradient of the cut slope, presence of highly weathered rock, thick debris, saturation due to rainfall and lack of toe support (the distance between the edge of the highway and the beginning of the slope, a key factor while designing stable slopes along highways) are the primary causative factors of the debris flow. Intense rainfall acted as the trigger for the landslide. The high relief and overburden material in the hill slope suggest that retrogression of the slide is probable during prolonged rainfall,” the GIS said in its report.

The GIS also pointed out that heavy rainfall was also among the factors that led to the landslide.

Wherever any major projects take place, geological study has to be conducted. This incident clearly indicates there was violation of environment and forests, the NGT said.

On July 16, a massive landslide struck at Shirur village in Akola, destroying the Karwar-Mangaluru portion of the 1,640-km highway, which connects Maharashtra’s Panvel with Kanyakumari in Tamil Nadu. So far eight bodies have been recovered.