The landslips in Wayanad, Kerala are a wake-up call for everyone, and what happened there can happen in any hilly area in the coming days, said Karnataka Revenue Minister Krishna Byregowda.
Speaking to mediapersons at Doddathappale village in Sakleshpur taluk on July 31, Mr. Byregowda said the incidents in Wayanad should wake up not only the government, but people too. “We need to learn from the incidents. If we go for development, taking nature for granted, it will teach us a lesson one day. Whatever happened in Wayanad today, can happen anywhere,” he said.
The State Government has sent officers to Wayanad and is also ready to extend financial assistance, if required. “We are extending cooperation for relief work,” he said.
Landslips in Karnataka
Regarding landslips at Doddathappale and Harle, and other locations in Sakleshpur taluk, the Minister stressed on the need for changes in the design of the road in Shiradi Ghat. Construction of the road on the stretch was an engineering challenge. He would request experts from the Geological Survey of India to suggest changes in the design of road construction in areas vulnerable to landslips.
He pointed out that the steepness of hillocks could be the reason for landslips. “There was difficulty in providing a slope, as it would require additional land. In such cases, the design could have included the construction of retaining walls. Besides that, in other places, pitching was not done properly. We will bring these issues to the notice of the NHAI through a letter from the Chief Minister,” he said.
The Revenue Minister said the Chief Minister had agreed to grant ₹100 crore this year and another ₹200 crore next year to take up work necessary to avoid landslips in vulnerable places. “We are working out a plan, at a cost of ₹300 crore, to avoid landslips in vulnerable places. The amount will be spent to construct retaining walls, strengthen pitching, and other work to prevent such incidents,” he said.
With regard to the landslip on Harle-Nadahalli road in Sakleshpur taluk, the Minister said that the owner of the estate, where the landslip occurred, had come forward to part with a portion of the land to lay a temporary road. “I thank the estate owner for his gesture. We need to have an alternative road urgently, as road connectivity to more than 25 villages has been affected. We will put a temporary arrangement in place withing two days. In the next six months, we will re-construct the road that was swept away in the landslip,” he said.
He was accompanied by Sakleshpur MLA S. Manjunath, and senior officers of the Hassan district administration.
