Highway of Despair: The Unseen Costs of Progress in Coastal Karnataka

Last Updated on August 22, 2024

The Shiroor incident could have been avoided if the road developer had learned lessons from the 2017 tragedy in Kumta, Uttara Kannada, INDIA, the same district to which Shiroor belongs. By examining the research report submitted by The Centre for Policy Research, the Gamana News Team explores the then-and-now situations of landslide incidents in Uttara Kannada.

Recently, the Western Ghats section of Uttara Kannada district (INDIA) was hit by heavy rainfall, resulting in devastating landslides. More than ten people lost their lives, and 10-12 houses collapsed in the village of Shiroor, near Ankola Taluk. Initial reports from officials indicated that five people died under the landslide, and eleven people were missing as rescue operations are still underway.

The cause of this tragedy was not just the heavy rain but the highway expansion that led to the cutting of vast amounts of mountains and trees by the developers. The public and environmentalists blame not only the rain but also the repeated acts of negligence by highway developers for the massive disaster. The landslide swept two LPG gas tanker trucks into the Gangavali River. Beside the National Highway, a tea stall collapsed, burying five members of a family under the landslide debris.

The Shiroor incident, though sudden, was not merely an accident. The main cause was the negligence of the infrastructure developer, IRB Infrastructure. Had they learned from past tragedies and corrected their mistakes, this horror could have been prevented. To understand the full extent of the issue, one must look back to a previous tragedy that took the lives of three children in Divgi village in the same district in 2017.

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The Promise of NH-66

In the early 2010s, a grand vision of connectivity and development took root along the serene coastline of Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka. The National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) proposed the ambitious project of widening and upgrading the existing National Highway (NH) 17, renaming it NH-66 in the process.

This project aimed to span 187 kilometers, stretching from the Goa-Karnataka border to Kundapur through the breathtaking Western Ghats. The contract was awarded to IRB Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., and the project promised to revolutionize the region by reducing traffic, cutting fuel consumption, minimizing accidents, and ultimately spurring economic growth.

A Dream Turns into a Nightmare

As the construction began in 2014, the local communities held their breath, hopeful for the promise of a better tomorrow. However, as the bulldozers rolled in, it became increasingly clear that the dream of progress was quickly turning into a nightmare. Several people lost their land to the highway project without receiving any compensation.

The National Highway Authority of India, which was supposed to address the grievances of the public during the construction and operation of the project, has not even opened its grievance cell in the district as it was obligated to. It was estimated that around 2,000 acres of farmlands were affected by flooding, landslides, and dust pollution due to highway construction.

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Community Protests and Disputes

From the outset, the project was marred by disputes and protests. Local newspapers were rife with reports of ongoing conflicts between the communities and project authorities. From January 2016 to August 2018 alone, there were 81 reports of difficulties arising from the construction of NH-66. The residents of 19 villages, as reported by Prajavani, took to the streets in 2018, protesting against the highway that threatened to uproot their lives.

Land Acquisition Woes

The heart of the issue lay in the land acquisition process, particularly in the regions of Karwar, Bhatkal, and Ankola. Villagers from Amdalli, Chendiya, and Todur were especially vocal, facing displacement for the second time, having already lost their land two decades earlier to the Indian Naval Service (INS) Kadamba, also known as the Seabird Project. This repeated upheaval was too much to bear for many, leading to widespread unrest. Chandru Naik, a resident of Chendiya village in Karwar, says his family was displaced twice in the last 30 years. Pointing towards the debris remains of his house, he states, “I was not born a refugee, but development made me one.”

Environmental Devastation

But the troubles did not stop at land acquisition. Across the district, people raised concerns about the project’s non-compliance with clearance conditions and the subsequent adverse impacts. Villages like Bogribail and Chandumata filed complaints about the loss of livelihood due to dust pollution and flooding. The environmental damage was undeniable, with soil erosion and landslides becoming common occurrences.

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The 2017 Divgi Disaster

A particularly harrowing incident occurred in June 2017, near the village of Divgi. The project concessionaire, in their haste, had neglected to plant vegetation along the embankments and slopes, a crucial measure to prevent soil erosion. This oversight proved fatal when a massive mountain slope, left uncovered after widening the road, collapsed. The landslide completely destroyed eight houses, killing three children who were asleep inside. The tragic irony was that the children had stayed home that day due to heavy rain, a decision that should have kept them safe.

Study Highlights Non-Compliance

The study conducted by the Centre for Policy Research highlighted these grave issues. It revealed the extensive social and environmental impacts, including the legal non-compliance of the NH-66 expansion project. The project, which was supposed to bring development and prosperity, had instead sown discord and devastation across the coastal Uttara Kannada district.

“The NH-66 project, in its current state, has overlooked critical environmental safeguards and the well-being of local communities. If past tragedies had been taken seriously, such disasters could have been prevented. The cost of unchecked ambition is being paid by the innocent lives and livelihoods of the people in Uttara Kannada,” said Dr. Mahabaleshwar Hegde, a Research Lead at the Centre for Policy Research.

The True Extent of Damage

As site visits and community meetings were conducted in 34 villages from Karwar to Kundapur, the true extent of the damage became apparent. The untouched beauty of the Western Ghats was marred by unchecked construction, and the livelihoods of countless villagers were left hanging in the balance.

Despite the Centre for Policy Research’s 2017 report outlining severe issues due to NH-66 highway construction, including blasting, groundwater and river water withdrawal, flooding, saltwater intrusion, and soil dumping on wetlands, these measures have yet to be fully addressed. According to the Namati Environment Organisation, “Pollution, flooding, saltwater intrusion, and dumping of soil on wetlands are still ongoing. We are missing the gap between public involvement and government officials.”

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Call for Accountability

Several complaints have been filed by the public and even local Panchayats regarding the unscientific construction by IRB Infrastructure. Several meetings have been conducted by the district administration, and warnings and show-cause notices have been issued to the company.

However, the company has disregarded all these directions from the government and concerns from the public. Even till May 2024, the company was cutting mountains in Chendiya, Shiroor, and Karwar areas without any safety measures. No measures have been taken near Belase, Chandumata, and Chendiya village to avoid flooding due to the NH construction.

Anant Hegde Ashishar, a prominent environmental activist and former Chairman of the Karnataka Biodiversity Board and Western Ghat Task Force, states that a comprehensive study on the loopholes in the design and construction of the highway should be carried out and precautionary measures must be taken before proceeding with any further construction.

Vinod Patgar, founder of Parna Kuteera Trust and researcher at CPR, says the government should register a case against IRB Infrastructure under Section 5 of the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, and toll collection should be stopped.

Last Peg

The NH-66 project stands as a stark reminder of the delicate balance between progress and preservation. It is a tale of promises broken and lives disrupted, where the march of development trampled over the very people it was meant to uplift.

The recent Shiroor landslide incident highlights that landslides are a major concern along the road line, leading to significant loss of homes and lives. While compensations for property loss might be possible, who is responsible when development turns into death? The concerned departments, service providers, and officials need to check themselves before another tragedy happens. Such man-made disasters should not occur in a civilized society.

Pictures Credit: Dr. Mahabaleshwar Hegde, Maruti Gouda, Vinod Kagal