Barely four days after this season's first landslip on June 7, earth again caved in on NH 66 at Ottinene hillock near Byndoor in Udupi district in the early hours of Sunday.
As a result of the landslide, vehicular movement on the busy Mangaluru-Mumbai highway came to a grinding halt from 2 am. There were no mishap or casualty, said Udupi Additional Superintendent of Police Vishnuvardhan.
The Additional SP told The Hindu that lighter vehicles were being diverted on an adjacent carriageway, while heavy vehicles were being detained.
Byndoor police sub-inspector Santosh Kaikini said the road is being cleared for normal traffic. Further landslip cannot be ruled out with the soil condition and heavy rains.
Jatindra Maravanthe, tax consultant at Byndoor, told The Hindu that the NHAI appears to have underestimated the soil nature in the locality. While the hilltop receives heavy rains, improper facility for drainage of rainwater is damaging the embarkment. The soil itself loose in nature, he said
