Minister in charge of Dakshina Kannada, Dinesh Gundu Rao, announced on Friday that a high-level inquiry will be conducted into the Department of Mines and Geology’s authorization for the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to extract additional soil from Kettikal hillock during the highway widening project between Mangaluru and Karkala.
During a press conference at Kettikal, on Mangaluru’s outskirts, after inspecting the site of minor landslips, Rao indicated preliminary findings suggest lapses in the slope cutting for the project. “More soil has been constantly extracted and transported from Kettikal in the name of the highway widening project,” he stated.
Rao said an expert team will be consulted to recommend measures to prevent further landslips. Deputy Commissioner M.P. Muhilan mentioned that an expert team from IIT-Bombay, currently studying a landslip in Uttara Kannada district, will be asked to provide suggestions.
Local residents informed the Minister that NHAI allowed the contractor to extract more soil than permitted. Rao criticized NHAI and the Mines and Geology Department officials for this oversight.
Additionally, Rao directed the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) to safeguard power supply towers atop the hillock, where minor landslips have been reported. He urged KPTCL to develop a contingency plan to protect these towers from potential damage.
The Minister’s visit and subsequent announcements underscore the need for careful management and oversight in large infrastructure projects to prevent environmental damage and ensure public safety.