Fears over likely landslips and floods

Environmentalists and residents of Belthangady taluk fear that there may be one more disaster this monsoon too on the lines of last year’s where a cloudburst not only triggered landslips on the Western Ghats but also caused heavy floods in the tributaries of the Netravathi.

The Mrityunjaya one of the tributaries of Netravathi that flows close to Charmadi Ghat wreaked havoc last monsoon. The river course witnessed a flood-like situation last week when there was some rain. This, according to Dinesh Holla from Sahyadri Sanchaya, was silt — sand and stones — that accumulated along the river course during last year’s floods.

While individuals having land on the banks of the river had cleared silt from their land, silt from the river was not cleared, Mr. Holla told

The Hindu . He said that the river may alter its course thereby wreaking havoc along its course this monsoon because of the silt accumulation.

He said that the Sanchaya team had found several precariously standing hillocks after last monsoon’s landslip during its visit.

Some such hillocks must have collapsed last week bringing in muddy waters in the Mrityunjaya river course, he said. The river course, right from its origin in Madhugundi to Durgada Halli and Kukkavu, is filled with silt and debris thereby losing its depth.

Mr. Holla suspected that landslips may occur this year too along the Western Ghat belt surrounding the tributaries of the Netravathi following the construction of a series of mini dams for the Yettinahole Water Diversion Project. Valleys such as Devagiri, Yelaneer, Himagiriguppe, Mugila Giri, Hebbasale and Heggadde in this range would see floods and landslips, he said.

Sreehari Marathe, a progressive farmer from Didupe village on the foothills of the Kudremukh range, said that the Kukkavu river too is left with thousands of wooden logs that washed down during last monsoon. This could amplify the flood effect this time, while the wooden logs may go further down into the Netravathi creating trouble, he felt.

Yettinahole project

Mr. Holla further said that the construction of a series of dams for the Yettinahole project since four years has almost destroyed the Shola forests in the region. Though the ₹ 20,000-crore project is not yielding water to beneficiary regions, it being continued, he regretted.