+
K?taka Revenue Minister Cites
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

K?taka Revenue Minister Cites "Unscientific" NHAI Work for NH 66 Landslide

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, asserted that the landslide at Shrirur was caused by ?unscientific? projects carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Seabird Naval base. He mentioned that the chief of NHAI would be summoned to address the deficiencies in the projects.

He recalled his visit to the area the previous year during heavy rainfall, noting that the construction of national highways was not carried out with scientific precision. Additionally, he criticised the Seabird Naval base?s canals as being poorly organised. He had previously warned about the risk of landslides, but these warnings were ignored by NHAI. This was stated by him in response to queries in the assembly regarding the incident.

Byre Gowda also indicated that NHAI officials often responded by citing their central office in Delhi and promising to send a letter. However, he assured that the government is taking the incident seriously and that discussions with officials would be scheduled. He also mentioned that a letter would be sent through the chief secretary and that all necessary measures would be implemented to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Speaker U T Khader proposed filing cases against central agencies, but Byre Gowda noted that the state was not inclined to engage in a conflict.

Byre Gowda described the location of the national highway as being situated between a river and a hill, where some unauthorized small canteens had been established along the roadside. The landslide occurred when tanker drivers transporting cooking gas (LPG) had stopped their vehicles for tea. The landslide engulfed the tankers and canteens, with reports suggesting that seven people, including the tanker drivers, might have lost their lives.

The rescue operation is currently in progress, with teams from the fire brigade and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at the scene.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, asserted that the landslide at Shrirur was caused by ?unscientific? projects carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Seabird Naval base. He mentioned that the chief of NHAI would be summoned to address the deficiencies in the projects. He recalled his visit to the area the previous year during heavy rainfall, noting that the construction of national highways was not carried out with scientific precision. Additionally, he criticised the Seabird Naval base?s canals as being poorly organised. He had previously warned about the risk of landslides, but these warnings were ignored by NHAI. This was stated by him in response to queries in the assembly regarding the incident. Byre Gowda also indicated that NHAI officials often responded by citing their central office in Delhi and promising to send a letter. However, he assured that the government is taking the incident seriously and that discussions with officials would be scheduled. He also mentioned that a letter would be sent through the chief secretary and that all necessary measures would be implemented to avoid similar incidents in the future. Speaker U T Khader proposed filing cases against central agencies, but Byre Gowda noted that the state was not inclined to engage in a conflict. Byre Gowda described the location of the national highway as being situated between a river and a hill, where some unauthorized small canteens had been established along the roadside. The landslide occurred when tanker drivers transporting cooking gas (LPG) had stopped their vehicles for tea. The landslide engulfed the tankers and canteens, with reports suggesting that seven people, including the tanker drivers, might have lost their lives. The rescue operation is currently in progress, with teams from the fire brigade and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at the scene.

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

Vadhavan Port to Boost India’s Global Maritime Position

The Vadhavan Port, a deep-draft port on the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor, is expected to increase India’s container handling capacity by 23.2 million TEUs.A series of strategic MoUs have been signed to support skill development, rural entrepreneurship, and training for local communities. These include agreements between Vadhavan Port Project Ltd (VPPL) and Yashwantrao Chavan Maharashtra Open University for training, JNPA and DG Shipping for maritime skill development, and VPPL with Sahyadri Farms to boost the agricultural value chain.Training programmes for heavy vehicle drivin..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

DAY-NRLM Hosts Workshop to Boost SHG-Led Health Initiatives

The Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana – National Rural Livelihoods Mission (DAY-NRLM), under the Ministry of Rural Development, organised a two-day regional workshop in Ranchi on “Sangathan, Swasthya, Samriddhi: Women Collective’s Action on Food, Nutrition, Health and WASH (FNHW)” in collaboration with the Jharkhand State Livelihood Promotion Society (JSLPS).The event, held on 22–23 July 2025, aimed to strengthen self-help group-led interventions in health, nutrition, and sanitation. It brought together senior officials, community cadres, and FNHW representatives from 14 states and UTs, inc..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Defence Chief to Attend Talisman Sabre 2025 in Australia

Chief of Integrated Defence Staff (CISC) Air Marshal Ashutosh Dixit will visit Australia from 26 to 28 July 2025 to witness the 11th edition of Exercise Talisman Sabre (TS25). The multilateral training activity is led by the Australian Defence Force and the US Armed Forces and involves 19 nations.Six officers from the Indian Armed Forces are participating in TS25 as staff planners in joint operations planning, logistics, and safety. Indian officers had previously participated in the 2021 and 2023 editions as observers.The exercise provides an opportunity to strengthen military-to-military ties..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

Talk to us?