Manjanady hill collapse: No FIR filed even after 18 months

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Oct 9, 2026: Even after one-and-a-half years since a landslide at Uru Mane in Manjanady village of Ullal taluk claimed the lives of a woman and two children, no First Information Report (FIR) has been registered in connection with the incident.

Experts from the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) have identified possible negligence during road construction as one of the factors that contributed to the landslide. However, the Konaje police are yet to initiate action against the engineers concerned, while the district administration remains uncertain about who should be held accountable.

Meanwhile, the district administration is reportedly considering providing a plot of land to the affected family. However, the move is yet to be confirmed.

Initially, an investigation was undertaken through engineers, but it remained incomplete. Subsequently, on the instructions of the Deputy Commissioner, NITK experts inspected the site and submitted a report to the district administration. The report identified three contributing factors, including possible negligence in road construction. Although the report was also submitted to the police department, no case has reportedly been registered against the engineers involved in the road construction.

NITK experts conducted an inspection of the site on January 13, 2026, and identified several factors that may have contributed to the incident. These included heavy and continuous rainfall, excavation for house construction at the foot of the slope, and soil excavation undertaken for road construction.

The experts examined the site conditions, gathered information from local residents, inspected the landslide-affected area, assessed soil exposure and the characteristics of the debris, and reviewed recent changes made to the site.

The report described the affected area as a steep natural slope consisting of laterite soil. Excavation for road and house construction had disturbed the base of the slope. The report also highlighted the lack of adequate surface and subsurface drainage, along with soil saturation and softening, as factors that may have contributed to the landslide.