Visakhapatnam: The landslip in Kinnaur, which killed 13 persons, should be an eye-opener to the AP administration. It should now focus on the Kailasagiri Beach Road in Visakhapatnam and the railway track between Visakhapatnam and Kirondol that passes through Araku Valley, geology experts have proposed.
In an incident on August 4, 2006, huge boulders had rolled down from a height to the Kodipunjuvalasa village under Araku mandal in Visakhapatnam agency, killing 18 people on the spot and flattening 15 houses. The entire village was later relocated to another place.
Similarly, on October 26, 2019, huge boulders slipped onto the beach road near the Kailasagiri hillock close to Tenneti Park in the early hours of the day. They blocked the busy beach road for hours.
Incidents of landslides between Vizag and Kirondol via Araku Valley are frequently reported during monsoon season. Geologists point out that all the incidents occurred during heavy rain. Loose soil caused the landslip. In the case of Kailasagiri and Vizag-Kirondol rail track, experts say it was a manmade disaster.
“The Kailasagiri Hill was cut in an unscientific manner to create the beach road. District officials made no effort to take remedial steps and prevent rock fall. If it rains continuously for a week, there are chances of rocks rolling on to the road. Danger lurks along the 23km-long beach road wherever hillocks are located,’’ said Prof Dhananjay Rao of the department of geology, Andhra University.
Prof Rao told DC on Thursday that he has submitted a report to the VMRDA on the corrective steps to be taken up at Kailasagiri and the Port area which include geo textiling, construction of gravity retaining walls, slope adjustment and building a fencing.
“But they have not responded so far,’’ he said.
Superintendent engineer of VMRDA, Rammohan Rao, said they were studying the report and would implement the project after holding discussions with the higher officials.
Notably, the railways have already taken up preventive steps, also for the main reason that a prolonged blockade of the rail track would result in a loss of crores from the resultant absence of goods traffic, particularly of iron ore.
“We have completed 70 per cent of the works in the vulnerable areas by constructing retaining walls, sub-drains and fencing. We are also conducting an aerial survey to identify more sensitive places along the track till Kirondol,’’ said a spokesperson for the Waltair division of East Coast Railway.
