A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the deployment of Indian Army personnel for rescue operations on National Highway 66 in Uttara Kannada district, Karnataka, following a landslide on July 16 triggered by heavy rainfall.
The petition, submitted by Advocate Subhash Chandran KR, criticises the Karnataka government for its inadequate response during the critical hours following the disaster and calls for a Landslide Management Plan to be implemented in vulnerable districts to prevent further loss of life.
The plea highlights the case of a truck driver named Arjun, a native of Kerala, who has been trapped at the site since July 16. The petitioner alleges that rescue operations have been ineffective due to the limited manpower and equipment deployed by Karnataka authorities, who only work during office hours.
Advocate Chandran points out that despite the proximity of army and naval resources in Belgaum and Karwar, no effort was made to mobilise them. He also mentions that rescue groups from Kerala, including award-winning disaster management experts, were mishandled by Karnataka police when they tried to assist.
The petition notes that GPS signals from Arjun’s phone were available for the first few days, indicating that his location could potentially be identified. It criticises the Karnataka government’s lack of urgency, suggesting it might be due to the victims being predominantly from other states.
The PIL seeks directions for the Union Government, and the state governments of Karnataka and Kerala, to clear the debris around the clock using scientific methods to locate and rescue trapped individuals and vehicles.
Background:
The landslide on July 16 in Shirur village, Uttara Kannada district, buried several vehicles and a local house/hotel under debris. Despite local reports of at least one truck and three cars being trapped, initial efforts by the authorities focused solely on path clearing with minimal resources. A truck travelling from Karnataka to Kerala was later discovered to be missing, with its last known GPS location at the landslide site.
Senior Advocate V Chidambaram has settled the petition, which was filed through AOR Biju P Raman.
