Heavy rains create waterfalls, rivulets
Mysore/Mysuru: Heavy rains since a couple of days has resulted in a portion of the Nandi Statue Road atop Chamundi Hill to collapse again last night. This time the road has collapsed near the View Point.
Also, heavy rains have created small waterfalls and rivulets. People visiting the Hill today were seen playing at the waterfalls and clicking photos.
PWD Engineer Raju, who is conducting a spot inspection said the landslip was expected as the road had developed cracks. Restoration works would be taken up after submitting an estimate once the rains stop.
PWD officials are inspecting the damages caused by heavy rains atop Chamundi Hill and a report in this regard would be submitted to the Deputy Commissioner by today evening.
Traffic banned
Meanwhile, the road leading to Nandi Statue from View Point has already been banned for traffic ever since the landslips occurred last year, with Siddarthanagar Traffic Police installing barricades to prevent vehicular movements.
It may be recalled that the first landslide occurred on the night of Oct. 20, 2021 and subsequently, three more landslips occurred, with the last one being on Nov. 18, 2021. Now the fifth landslip has taken place on the night of Oct. 20, 2022, exactly after one year.
After the landslides atop the Hill, scientists from Indian Institute of Science (IISc) had submitted a report after studying the pattern of the landslides, soil and other factors. The scientists suggested ‘reinforced earth steepened slope structure wall’ technique to restore the damaged areas. The scientists had studied the landslide patterns and took samples from faults, joints and bedding surfaces, which are contact points between rock and soil and contribute to landslides.
What has happened to the Chamundi Hill preservation outfit that MP Simha and others boasted will ensure that the Hill will be protected?
Events like Dasra, and projects like Mysore airport expansion to being in more tourists, the 10-llane Mysore-Bangalore highway, Myosre-Kushalnagar rail route, Hassan-Kodagu-Kerala highway etc..,wil bring in more tourists and massive numbers of settlers, who all want to visit the Temple and Hill top driving their cars on this road which is crumbling as a result of heavy traffic. This will not stop here. The whole Hill geological structure is under great strain. Within a few years, no one should be surprised if the Hill becomes a crumbling heat of stones and earth.
The only way to eliminate thie above danger is to stop ALL vehicle traffic and force VIPs and people to use the steps-just 1000 of them. If they cannot do this, tough luck, avoid the Hill.