Mangaluru: Heavy rains trigger fresh landslide at Kethikal hill, safety concerns mount on NH-169

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Aug 5, 2026: Heavy rainfall has once again triggered a landslide at the Kethikal hill section along the under-construction four-lane Mangaluru–Moodbidri National Highway 169, raising serious safety concerns among motorists and local residents.

The fresh landslide began on Tuesday in the Kethikal hill area near the Government School at Thiruvailu, where large quantities of soil and massive boulders started sliding towards the highway. Continuous rainfall over the past several days has loosened the soil, increasing the risk of further landslides.

For the past month, the highway contractor has been constructing a retaining wall at the base of the hill to prevent erosion and improve stability. However, local residents had earlier expressed doubts about the effectiveness of such structures during intense rainfall, warning that they may not withstand heavy downpours. The latest incident appears to have reinforced those concerns.

A major landslide had also occurred at the same Kethikal hill last year. Following that incident, advanced slope stabilization measures, including a concrete protective covering and the installation of hundreds of drainage pipes to prevent rainwater from seeping into the hill, were carried out. However, much of that protective infrastructure was damaged during last year’s heavy rains.

This year, a new retaining wall is being constructed between the hill and the highway at the affected stretch. Experts, however, have cautioned that if the wall’s foundation is not deep enough, heavy rains could weaken the soil at the base, causing large rocks from the upper slopes to slide down.

Residents also pointed out that several huge boulders and large trees remain precariously positioned on the upper portion of the hill. They fear that if rainfall intensifies in the coming days, these could collapse onto the highway, posing a serious threat to traffic.

Following last year’s landslide, traffic through the affected stretch has been restricted to only two lanes instead of the planned four-lane carriageway. With fresh landslides now occurring, concerns over the safety of the highway have resurfaced, prompting the public to urge authorities to implement permanent and effective measures to stabilize the hill and ensure the safety of commuters.