The Tuesday Interview | 'No report points finger at NHAI. Karnataka landslides due to natural calamity'

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) has come under scrutiny following the recent landslides in coastal Karnataka and the Western Ghats. The calamities have claimed several lives and disrupted road traffic. Chief Minister Siddaramaiah has asked the chief secretary to write to Union Minister of Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari on the frequent landslides and alleged lapses by NHAI officials.

In this interview with DH's Muthi-ur-Rahman Siddiqui, the NHAI's Regional Officer (Karnataka), Vilas P Brahmankar, discusses the landslides, and dwells on the NHAI's ongoing projects, including new expressways, highway upgrades, traffic control measures, toll charges, and so on. Edited excerpts: 

How do you respond to allegations that lapses by the NHAI triggered the landslides near Shirur on National Highway 66? 

No report has pointed the finger at the NHAI. The landslides on NH66 were due to a natural calamity. Although slope flattening and protection measures were taken during the road construction, there were no vertical cuts (into the hills). The landslides occurred beyond our Right of Way (ROW). Intense rains this monsoon — 510 mm in 24 hours — led to soil saturation and water pressure buildup, resulting in landslides.

The highway was constructed on a BOT (Build, Operate and Transfer) basis. The concessionaire consulted the Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru, and followed its suggestions, including diverting additional land from the forest department. 

Did the NHAI constitute an expert committee to make an assessment? 

The NHAI has constituted a four-member committee, consisting of an expert from the Geographic Information System (GIS), an IIT Bombay professor, the chief scientist of the National Geophysical Research Institute, and a private consultant. 

According to the committee, there was soil mass between lateritic soil and rock that was saturated due to rains. As it developed water pressure, the entire thing came down. The road itself remains intact, with traffic continuing on two lanes. 

There was also a landslide in the Shiradi Ghat. The NHAI's roadwork has dragged on for years. 

The landslide happened at Maranahalli (near Sakleshpur). We are upgrading the Hassan-Sakleshpur section of NH75. The project started in 2020 and faced delays due to Covid-19. We have completed 35 km out of the total 45 km, but haven't started toll collection yet. The remaining 10 km is in the Ghat section. We plan to complete it by June 2025. It's a challenging project because the ROW is only 30 metres and traffic cannot be stopped. 

What is the NHAI doing to prevent fatal accidents on national highways in Karnataka?  

Accidents on the Bengaluru-Mysuru access-controlled highway have significantly reduced. Two-wheelers are banned and ANPR cameras are installed for deterrent actions. This year, despite heavy rains, there was no waterlogging. 

We are also identifying and eradicating black spots through short- and long-term measures, especially near Chitradurga on the Bengaluru-Pune highway. A black spot is a 500-metre section where there have been five fatal accidents in three consecutive years.

The highway is already six-lane at most places, with ongoing works on Hubballi-Dharwad bypass, Nelamangala-Tumakuru, and other sections.  

Short-term measures can be taken immediately. For long-term measures, we need to provide structures such as underpasses and prepare Detailed Project Reports (DPRs).

What is the status of the 288-km Bengaluru Satellite Town Ring Road (STRR)? What about the 8-km stretch that will pass through the Bannerghatta National Park (BNP)? 

The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) clearance has been obtained for the BNP portion, and we are now working on forest clearance, which is in progress. We will then obtain environmental clearance. However, we have been asked to acquire non-forest land in exchange for diverted forest land. While this was not required because it's an old project, we are trying to comply in the next two to three months. 

Out of the STRR's nine packages, four have been bid out, with two completed and two underway. The remaining five packages are yet to be tendered. 

Can you update us on the Bengaluru-Chennai, and Bengaluru-Pune expressway projects, and the Bengaluru-Hyderabad highway upgrade? 

The deadline for the Bengaluru-Chennai expressway is December. The Karnataka portion is almost complete, except for a 500-metre stretch in the Bengaluru Rural district, where a temple needs to be relocated. 

The DPR for the Bengaluru-Pune expressway is ready, and preliminary estimations are complete. However, it has not been submitted to NHAI headquarters, and land acquisition is yet to begin. The DPR for upgrading the four-lane Hyderabad highway to six lanes is underway. 

Does the NHAI have any plans to decongest traffic in Bengaluru, like building tunnel roads? 

The NHAI has no jurisdiction within Bengaluru city limits for traffic interventions. We focus on point-to-point connectivity between cities. Our responsibilities include the Electronics City-Attibele, airport and Old Madras roads. While there may be future demands for city interventions such as flyovers and tunnel roads, they depend on project sanctions and concessionaire agreements.