Hulikal Ghat collapse exposes critical flaw in retaining wall construction

Shivamogga: The devastating collapse at Hulikal Ghat on State Highway 52, which claimed three lives Thursday night, has brought to the fore glaring administrative lapses and negligence of key technical parameters. The incident occurred during construction of a 70-foot retaining wall at the site – a hilly terrain. It has been alleged that work was being carried out ignoring fundamental engineering safety protocols required in hilly areas. The contractor's nephew and site manager, Raghavendra Chakkaru, lost his life while inspecting the work at dusk. Two others, Shabbir and Raju, were buried in the mudslide. The bodies were handed over to the respective families, following a post-mortem. The most critical oversight was the decision to cut the hillside vertically rather than employing the "benching" method (stepped or sloped cutting), which helps prevent landslides in the fragile Western Ghats. This vertical cut created a wall of soil that was left unsupported while labourers worked directly beneath it at the base. Shravan, from the ‘Green Lives' trust — who had initially opposed the project until clearance was obtained from the forest department — told TOI: "Landslides are natural disasters and the direct consequence of ignoring ecological limits in fragile hill ecosystems." He demanded urgent corrective action to prevent further tragedies. The absence of PWD officials at the site is a further pointer to lack of accountability. Reports indicate that a heavy multi-axle truck had passed by barely moments before the incident, yet no PWD engineer was present to monitor the safety of the site. However, PWD chief engineer Jagadeesh ruled out negligence or technical lapses on the part of the department's officials, asserting that the incident occurred only after the engineers had left the site.
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