K?taka Revenue Minister Cites
ROADS & HIGHWAYS

K?taka Revenue Minister Cites "Unscientific" NHAI Work for NH 66 Landslide

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, asserted that the landslide at Shrirur was caused by ?unscientific? projects carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Seabird Naval base. He mentioned that the chief of NHAI would be summoned to address the deficiencies in the projects.

He recalled his visit to the area the previous year during heavy rainfall, noting that the construction of national highways was not carried out with scientific precision. Additionally, he criticised the Seabird Naval base?s canals as being poorly organised. He had previously warned about the risk of landslides, but these warnings were ignored by NHAI. This was stated by him in response to queries in the assembly regarding the incident.

Byre Gowda also indicated that NHAI officials often responded by citing their central office in Delhi and promising to send a letter. However, he assured that the government is taking the incident seriously and that discussions with officials would be scheduled. He also mentioned that a letter would be sent through the chief secretary and that all necessary measures would be implemented to avoid similar incidents in the future.

Speaker U T Khader proposed filing cases against central agencies, but Byre Gowda noted that the state was not inclined to engage in a conflict.

Byre Gowda described the location of the national highway as being situated between a river and a hill, where some unauthorized small canteens had been established along the roadside. The landslide occurred when tanker drivers transporting cooking gas (LPG) had stopped their vehicles for tea. The landslide engulfed the tankers and canteens, with reports suggesting that seven people, including the tanker drivers, might have lost their lives.

The rescue operation is currently in progress, with teams from the fire brigade and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at the scene.

Revenue Minister Krishna Byre Gowda, asserted that the landslide at Shrirur was caused by ?unscientific? projects carried out by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Seabird Naval base. He mentioned that the chief of NHAI would be summoned to address the deficiencies in the projects. He recalled his visit to the area the previous year during heavy rainfall, noting that the construction of national highways was not carried out with scientific precision. Additionally, he criticised the Seabird Naval base?s canals as being poorly organised. He had previously warned about the risk of landslides, but these warnings were ignored by NHAI. This was stated by him in response to queries in the assembly regarding the incident. Byre Gowda also indicated that NHAI officials often responded by citing their central office in Delhi and promising to send a letter. However, he assured that the government is taking the incident seriously and that discussions with officials would be scheduled. He also mentioned that a letter would be sent through the chief secretary and that all necessary measures would be implemented to avoid similar incidents in the future. Speaker U T Khader proposed filing cases against central agencies, but Byre Gowda noted that the state was not inclined to engage in a conflict. Byre Gowda described the location of the national highway as being situated between a river and a hill, where some unauthorized small canteens had been established along the roadside. The landslide occurred when tanker drivers transporting cooking gas (LPG) had stopped their vehicles for tea. The landslide engulfed the tankers and canteens, with reports suggesting that seven people, including the tanker drivers, might have lost their lives. The rescue operation is currently in progress, with teams from the fire brigade and the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) at the scene.

Next Story
Infrastructure Transport

MMRDA advances 250 m on Orange Gate–Marine Drive tunnel

The Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) has completed 250 m of underground tunnelling for the Orange Gate–Marine Drive Urban Road Tunnel using India’s largest slurry shield tunnel boring machine (TBM) deployed for an urban road project.The project involves twin tunnels extending over 7 km beneath critical transport corridors, including Central Railway, Western Railway and Metro Line 3. The work requires high-precision engineering to navigate densely developed urban infrastructure.Once completed, the tunnel is expected to reduce travel time between Orange Gate and Marin..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

Hindustan Zinc Pays Rs 188.46 Billion in FY26

Hindustan Zinc contributed Rs 188.46 billion to the public exchequer in FY 2025-26, according to its 9th Tax Transparency Report. The contribution, equivalent to 46 per cent of the company’s revenue, included direct and indirect taxes, government royalties, dividends to the Government of India, withholding taxes and other statutory levies.The company’s five-year cumulative contribution to the exchequer stood at Rs 915.72 billion. In FY26, Hindustan Zinc reported revenue of Rs 408.44 billion, EBITDA of Rs 221.62 billion and profit after tax of Rs 138.32 billion. It also achieved its highest..

Next Story
Infrastructure Urban

World of Concrete India 2026 Opens in Mumbai

Informa Markets in India will host the 12th edition of World of Concrete India 2026 from 3–5 June 2026 at the Bombay Exhibition Centre, Mumbai. The specialised B2B exhibition will bring together manufacturers, suppliers, contractors, developers, architects, consultants, infrastructure companies, project leaders and government stakeholders.The event is expected to feature over 350 brands and more than 18,000 trade professionals. It will cover concrete and cement, dry mortar, precast technologies, formwork, construction chemicals, industrial and commercial flooring, scaffolding, safety solutio..

Advertisement

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Get daily newsletters around different themes from Construction world.

STAY CONNECTED

Advertisement

Advertisement

Advertisement

-->