Daijiworld Media Network – Byndoor (MS)

Byndoor, Oct 18: A portion of a hill near Ottinene collapsed on Wednesday night, depositing mud along the side of NH 66 near Byndoor.

Intermittent rainfall in the region over the past few days caused the soil to become saturated, leading to the collapse. The remaining part of the hill remains in a precarious condition and could collapse at any time. A few months ago, the top portion of the hill was levelled by fire service personnel using water to prevent a larger landslide.

Approximately one to two tipper truckloads of mud slid into a nearby trench, which was quickly cleared with a JCB machine. As of now, highway traffic remains unaffected. IRB officials arrived at the scene to clear the mud and took precautions to prevent further collapses. Plastering has been carried out near the Raghavendra Math at Ottinene, where another potential mudslide is anticipated.

The Someshwara hill is also slowly eroding due to the continuous rainfall. Unauthorised road construction by private individuals for resort development has exacerbated the erosion, with mud flowing down the hill during the monsoon. The deputy commissioner and the district in-charge minister recently visited the site and inspected the surroundings. The Kshitija Nesara resort, situated above the hill, is at risk. Despite local complaints to the concerned authorities, no action has been taken so far.