Udupi: After two instances of landslides on NH-66 stretch, Shilpa Nag, Assistant Commissioner has directed the contractors engaged in widening of the the national highway to repair all the damaged parts in Udupi district at the earliest, here on Rajathadri, DC office, Manipal.
Chairing a meeting on dealing with the damaged stretches on NH-66 in Udupi district, she said that the Othinane stretch that witnessed landslides owing to heavy rainfall should be repaired within stipulated timeframe and directed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) and contractors Navyuga, IRB, RV Construction companies to prepare for the monsoons.
She showed photographs and video clipping of landslips near Adi Udupi. She also said that the people in Kundapur and Byndoor region were facing a lot of hardship owning to the haphazard nature of the road widening works. Owing to a landslip on June 7, the traffic was held up for nearly five hours at Othinane causing inconvenience to people because of lack of alternative roads.
The NHAI officials said that the major glitch is laying drain in the area to facilitate easy flow of rainwater is that the land around the hillock belongs to the forest department and no drains can be laid on that said land. The officials said that constant loosening of soil at Othinane stretch had caused the landslide and that if a drain was laid, the landslides can be averted.
The Assistant Commissioner directed officials to take steps to prevent landslips along the Othinane stretch in the future. She directed the officials concerned to fill the potholes on Jogur and Muddodi roads, which were being used as alternative roads to Othinane.
With regard to compensation for land acquisition in Padubidri, she said there have been lot of complaints of discrimination in provision of compensation. The Department of Public Works should do land valuation once again and pay compensation based on this valuation.
She also directed the officials to undertake quick repairs on the road from Adiudupi to Kollur in light of President Pranab Mukherjee’s visit to the district on Sunday.
