Mangaluru: Illegal hill cutting allegedly triggers landslide threat, three families evacuated
Mangalore Today News Network
Mangaluru, Aug. 6, 2026: A major landslide near Anebail in Gurupura, on the outskirts of Mangaluru, has left three families living in fear as their homes stand on the verge of collapse. Residents have alleged that the disaster was triggered by illegal hill cutting on private land, coupled with negligence by local authorities.
Continuous heavy rainfall caused a landslide behind the house of Ajmal, severely damaging the rear portion of the building. With the structure now at risk of collapsing at any moment, the family has been shifted to a rented house with the help of a local donor.
Locals alleged that the owner of the adjacent property, Awwad, excavated and cut the hill using JCB machines without following mandatory safety measures. They claim the excavation weakened the slope, leading to the landslide and putting several nearby houses at risk.
Apart from Ajmal’s residence, the homes of Ibrahim and Usman are also under threat due to the unstable soil. The affected families said they had lodged a complaint with the gram panchayat nearly three weeks ago, but no effective preventive action was taken.
According to the residents, the Panchayat Development Officer (PDO), who visited the site, initially assured them that tarpaulin sheets would be provided as a temporary relief measure. However, they later informed the families that there were no funds available and that existing rules did not permit such assistance.
The victims also expressed disappointment that no senior government official has visited the site despite the seriousness of the situation. Instead of taking urgent measures to protect the houses, they were merely advised to move to a relief centre, they alleged.
Ajmal said he had borrowed nearly Rs 12 lakh four years ago to build his house. "Today, the house has become unfit for living and could collapse at any time, pushing my family into severe financial distress," he said.
Social activist Latheef Gurupura also raised concerns, pointing out that a large gram panchayat water tank supplying drinking water to nearly 500 households is located in the same vulnerable area. He warned that if the landslide continues, it could eventually pose a threat to the nearby national highway as well.
The affected families have urged the taluk and district administrations to immediately inspect the site, investigate the alleged illegal hill cutting, implement permanent safety measures, and provide compensation and rehabilitation to prevent a larger tragedy.