Daijiworld Media Network - Mangaluru (SP)

Mangaluru, May 5: During the last year, a hillock at Derebail had crashed during the rainy season, giving rise to jitters among the dwellers of a residential complex below. Memories of this incident, in all likelihood, may come back to haunt them this year again.

The complex, Essel Heights, is located by the side of the road leading towards Kavoor from Kuntikan near Haripadavu cross. During the last monsoon season, mud from the hillock on the rear side of the building had suffered a landslide. This had forced the residents of the complex to leave their homes. The incident had also given rise to a sense of fear among the people residing in the area.

Even when this complex was under construction, three workers had lost their lives after the sheets of mud from the hillock slid down during its construction. As a proper retaining wall was not built in the backside, the hillock had started to crash last year. Currently, the wall is under construction but yet to be completed.

Last year, tarpaulin had been laid out to cover muddy areas outside the complex's compound wall to see that rainwater does not affect the mud wall. Due to heat, the tarpaulin has developed numerous holes.

If monsoon season starts, water might seep through the tarpaulin, enter the mud and make it smoother, and thus give rise to another landslide. If a retainer wall was built here, the chances of danger would have been reduced.

If the hillock gives way, there are chances of the concrete road leading to Yeyyadi via Haripadavu from Kuntikan-Kavoor road getting damaged. This road passes over the hillock behind the complex. When vehicles move on this road, the mud may become softer and the hillock may crash. During the previous rainy season, traffic had been barred during the monsoon months on this road. The locals feel that it will be better to restrain vehicular movement here during the rainy season.

The complex has over 75 flats apart from commercial units. On a night last year, the hillock had crashed down behind the building and several parked vehicles had been damaged. As the incident happened at night, no one suffered any injuries. Several loads of mud had got deposited on the ground, which was later cleared. The residents, however, ran out and depended on hotels for food. Some sought shelter in the houses of friends and relatives. They lived in fear till the rainy season ended. Now the fear is lurking again, the residents said.

After the deputy commissioner and corporation officials inspected the area last year, notices had been issued to the people who constructed this building. They promised to build a retainer wall and started it.

The wall has not been completed till now. Derebail (East) corporator, Rajani L Kotian, said that precautionary measures to protect the place from crashing have been undertaken. She added that the owners of the nearby land and also the flat will be asked to take steps to ensure that the hillock does not crash again during the monsoon months.