Mangaluru, Bengaluru In India, Commuters And Transporters Face Mounting Frustration As Monsoon-triggered Landslide Shuts Nh 75, And Highlights Urgent Need For Slope Protection

Monday, July 28, 2025

Monsoon-triggered landslides person erstwhile again crippled postulation betwixt Mangaluru and Bengaluru by shutting down nan important NH 75 highway, leaving thousands of commuters stranded and cargo activity severely disrupted—underscoring nan urgent and long-overdue request for broad slope protection measures on this susceptible stretch. This latest incident, which blocked nan nationalist road astatine Mannagundi successful Kokkada village, serves arsenic a stark reminder that without contiguous finance successful landslide mitigation and drainage management, India’s captious proscription arteries will stay chronically exposed to seasonal collapse, paralyzing some regular life and location commerce twelvemonth aft year.

Traffic betwixt Mangaluru and Bengaluru faced complete disruption early Monday greeting aft different landslide struck National Highway 75 adjacent Mannagundi successful Koukradi village, portion of Kadaba Taluk. The landslide occurred astir 4 a.m., sending a dense wide of ungraded and debris tumbling down onto nan highway, wholly blocking each lanes and cutting disconnected a captious lifeline that connects nan coastal region pinch Karnataka’s capital.

As nan first ray collapsed complete nan Western Ghats, nan harm became clear. A heavy broad of mud, rocks, and uprooted vegetation covered some sides of nan carriageway, making nan roadworthy impassable. Within hours, nan queue of stranded vehicles connected either broadside began to turn longer. Intercity buses, trucks transporting goods, and backstage vehicles en way to either Mangaluru aliases Bengaluru were brought to a abrupt halt. With nary measurement guardant and nary contiguous clearance successful sight, travelers were near stranded successful distant hilly terrain pinch constricted facilities.

Authorities responded swiftly by dispatching roadworthy attraction and disaster consequence teams to nan site. Earthmovers and heavy-duty clearance machinery were deployed to nan affected area to statesman removing debris and reconstruct connectivity. Emergency unit group up information barricades to forestall further conveyance activity adjacent nan descent zone, while alternate routes were marked and communicated to those caught up successful nan disruption.

Despite these accelerated measures, nan measurement of postulation connected this important nationalist road led to awesome congestion on nan designated detour roads. Vehicles were redirected done constrictive agrarian roads and interior routes, which are not designed to grip nan standard of long-distance commercialized and rider traffic. As a result, congestion quickly dispersed beyond nan contiguous area of nan landslide, and delays stretched good into nan day. Frustrated travelers had small prime but to wait, reroute, aliases move backmost altogether.

This is not nan first clip this conception of nan road has collapsed nether nan unit of earthy forces. A akin landslide deed nan nonstop location conscionable 10 days ago, concisely shutting down nan road for 3 hours earlier clearance operations restored access. Since nan onset of nan southwest monsoon, this agelong of roadworthy has many times faced landslide risks, yet small has changed connected nan ground. Each incident chips distant astatine nationalist confidence, not conscionable successful nan roadworthy network’s reliability, but successful nan wide preparedness of nan infrastructure strategy during nan rainy season.

The surface science of nan region makes it peculiarly susceptible to landslides. NH 75 winds its measurement done steep and forested terrain, pinch sections flanked by vulnerable hillsides prone to illness nether dense rain. The aggravated and persistent downpours complete nan past fewer weeks person saturated nan soil, weakening slope stableness and expanding nan probability of recurring landslides. This peculiar conception astatine Mannagundi has now go a recognized threat zone, yet nary imperishable information measures specified arsenic retaining walls, drainage channels, aliases slope reinforcement structures person been implemented.

The latest blockage triggered a caller activity of disapproval from commuters and section residents alike. Travelers person voiced their anger complete nan recurring dangers they look each monsoon. Many person questioned why nan road continues to beryllium near susceptible to specified predictable disruptions twelvemonth aft year, particularly erstwhile nan area has already recorded aggregate slides successful caller years. The deficiency of timely preventive infrastructure has go a pressing interest for some regular commuters and logistics operators who dangle heavy connected this corridor.

In summation to recreation delays, nan landslide has impacted nan carrier of basal equipment and commercialized freight moving betwixt nan seashore and inland markets. Perishable nutrient items, fuel, building materials, and medicines—all typically moved successful ample volumes on this route—now look uncertain transportation schedules. The roadworthy closure has disrupted proviso chains, creating ripple effects that whitethorn beryllium felt for days successful markets crossed nan region.

Meanwhile, nan broader mobility of ambiance resilience successful India’s road infrastructure looms large. As utmost upwind patterns go much predominant owed to ambiance change, landslides and floods are opening to expose captious weaknesses successful moreover nan astir captious carrier arteries. The repeated closure of NH 75, a awesome authorities and nationalist corridor, underscores nan urgent request to reassess really roads successful high-rainfall zones are designed and maintained.

Restoration activity continued passim nan time connected Monday, pinch aggregate excavators moving successful tandem to clear nan debris. Authorities are expected to reopen nan roadworthy erstwhile it is deemed safe for passage. However, until afloat connectivity is restored, travelers are being urged to cheque way advisories and usage alternate roads. Officials besides advised be aware while walking successful hilly regions during nan monsoon period, peculiarly wherever nan terrain is known to beryllium unstable.

A monolithic landslide triggered by dense monsoon rains has unopen down NH 75 betwixt Mangaluru and Bengaluru, stranding commuters and disrupting freight movement—highlighting nan urgent request for imperishable slope protection to forestall recurring seasonal collapses.

As nan rainfall continues to autumn crossed nan Western Ghats, nan consequence of further landslides remains. Unless semipermanent structural reinforcements are undertaken, this agelong of NH 75 is apt to stay susceptible to repeated disruptions. The events astatine Mannagundi service arsenic yet different reminder that erstwhile quality strikes pinch force, unprepared infrastructure quickly falters—and travelers carnivore nan brunt.