Two weeks after a landslide in Agumbe Ghat brought traffic to a halt, another landslide occurred in the ghat section on Friday near the famous Agumbe Sunset Point due to the heavy rains the region witnessed.
The landslide occurred after the soil under the structure at Sunset Point collapsed, falling at least 15 feet down on the road below. However, since there was no traffic when the collapse occurred there were no injuries reported. It did, however, result in a vehicular disruption along National Highway 169A. The highway connects Udupi and Shivamogga districts. Commuters can now reach Shivamogga via the Sidappur-Sagar route or via the Karkala-Sringeri route.
Raghavendra, a resident of Agumbe, said that the route is used by many residents in Shivamogga, Chikkamagaluru and Davangere, to travel to Kasturba Hospital in Manipal. "The heavy rain has led to the soil eroding and collapsing under the structure at Sunset Point. A similar incident occurred few weeks ago and authorities have to react quickly, and construct an obstruction immediately so it doesn’t come crashing down on people below," he said.
Police officials have visited the spot and cordoned off the area. The incident comes barely two weeks after a landslide on the seventh curve of the ghat section on June 29 saw traffic being disrupted. District authorities banned heavy vehicles from using the ghat section, lest any untoward incident happen due to the lashing rains.
Agumbe, which typically receives high rainfall, has received 150.2 mm of rain in the past 24 hours. Since June 1, it has received 2774.5 mm of rainfall.
Landslides have also occurred in Shiradi and Charmadi Ghats in the past month. Heavy rains have also led to water levels in dams in Shivamogga district rise above the danger mark. The water levels in the Sita River, which flows through Shivamogga, is also increasing due to the heavy rainfall experienced in the district.