Chamundi Hill landslide: Outstation visitors express concerns over safety

Circulation of pictures of landslides atop the Chamundi Hill on social media has created concern among devotees from other parts who frequently visit the religious centre.

The online signature campaign 'Save Chamundi Hill' gained momentum.

A few persons have presumed that the road to Chamundi Hill has caved in. They are calling their relatives in Mysuru expressing shock over nature's fury and also the official apathy in taking up work.

The number of visitors to the hill temple has come down due to rain in the region.

Vanajakshi from Bengaluru, who visits the Chamundi temple once every month, along with her group of friends, expressed concern. She wanted to know whether it was possible to visit the temple and whether the roads were proper.

Dinesh, a resident of M S Palya, on the outskirts of Bengaluru, who is also a regular visitor, stated that movement of large vehicles should be stopped atop the hill for taking up development works to prevent further damage.

Further development opposed

The proposal of the state government under Pilgrimage Rejuvenation and Spiritual Heritage Augmentation Drive (PRASHAD) for the development of the hill has been criticised. Recently, a few environmentalists have also written to the President of India seeking his intervention to save Chamundi Hill.

As per the proposal under PRASHAD, there is a plan to construct a park atop the hill. This means the felling of trees, claim environmentalists.

The existing steps to the hill will be upgraded. Developments have also been planned near the Nandi statue with new additions. There are plans of operating electric buses to ferry the passengers to the hill. Then why was the multi-level parking lot accommodating 600 cars constructed, they wanted to know.

What was the need for additional shops under the PRASHAD proposal when the government already constructed 100 shops atop the hill, they questioned?

An official from PWD said, "Geo Trail technology will be adopted to restore the road atop the hill. Retaining walls will be constructed with the available soil and stones to prevent further landslides. There was a need for around Rs 10 crore to take up the works. Scientists from the Indian Institute of Science have already inspected the spot and the works would be taken up after the report is submitted."

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