Belthangady: After a gap of one year, Belthangady Taluk has experienced a landslip again in the foothills of the Western Ghats. About 2 acres of forest land has been damaged due to the landslip at Alladakadu in Malavanthige Panchayat limits of Dakshina Kannada district.
On August 9 last year, Malavanthige and Mittabagilu village had suffered the brunt of rainfall and had witnessed landslides in several places, which had damaged houses and agricultural land.
However, the landslip at Alladakadu that came to notice on Monday has not caused any damage to any property or life as it is away from habitation and situated deep inside the Kudremukh National Park limits.
However, environmentalists have expressed their concern over the repeated landslide in the Western Ghats. They feel it would not only cause damage to the life and property in the nearby villages but have a longstanding impact on the environment too.
"We have seen landslip in several places last year and this year too there has been one. I had personally visited many places and noted that they took place in the valley region of the western ghats. Most of the places damaged are the catchment areas of Netravathi river," environmentalist and Sahyadri Sanchayat convener Dinesh Holla told Deccan Chronicle.
"These catchment areas are the ones that feed the river throughout the year. If they are damaged, the flow of the river decreases gradually. Even if the region receives good rain, as the catchment areas are damaged the flow of the river would decrease after monsoon," he said.
He further adds that as hundreds of trees fall during landslides, the sun rays directly fall into the forest increasing the temperature there. Due to this, the water content evaporates quickly.
"Yesterday's wildfire took place in the areas where there were frequent forest fires. The roots and the grasslands were completely burnt due to which the soil loosens. During rains there are possibilities of landslips," he says and adds that same is the case in other places too.
"The grasslands are also damaged due to human intervention and constructions there. The landslip is usually in the grassland. They flow down and wash away the forest below," he added.
