Shirur: Kerala Public Works and Tourism Minister PA Mohammed Riyas on Sunday criticised the Uttara Kannada district administration’s decision to temporarily suspend the rescue efforts to find three individuals who went missing in the Ankola landslide, calling it “unfortunate.”
According to Karwar MLA Satish Krishna Sail, the authorities were forced to suspend the operation on its 13th day after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a warning of heavy rain for the next 21 days in Shirur. The efforts had already been challenging due to adverse weather conditions, including landslide warnings and strong undercurrents in the Gangavali River. This has also posed significant threats to the divers attempting to reach Kerala native Arjun’s truck, which is trapped in the riverbed.
“The Karnataka government previously stated that a bridge was obstructing the possibility of dredging out Arjun’s truck from the Gangavali River. They mentioned exploring other possibilities but have taken no action so far,” Riyas told the media.
“The officials (of Karnataka) are not fully utilising the available rescue options. They cite the IMD's warning of heavy rain for the next 21 days, but we can still discuss and implement other rescue measures despite the adverse weather conditions. We have done it several times before,” the minister added.
Regarding the Indian Navy's involvement in the operation, Riyas urged seeking assistance from naval bases outside Karnataka. “Is Karnataka's the finest naval base in the country? Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has already sent letters to the Centre highlighting this. We can bring expert naval officers from across the country to Shirur,” Riyas said.
Meanwhile, CM Vijayan has sent a letter to his Karnataka counterpart, Siddaramaiah, urging him not to abandon the search. Vijayan emphasised that the operation should be resumed using the best possible technologies. Several MLAs from Kerala have also expressed their disagreement with Karnataka's decision to suspend the search efforts.
The landslide happened on National Highway 66 in Shirur around 8.30 am on July 16, when Arjun was en route to Kerala from Karnataka with a truckload of wood. For the past two days, rescue efforts in the Gangavali River have been led by local underwater search expert Eshwar Malpe and his team of seven divers. Malpe, renowned for his diving skills, has rescued many people in distress and retrieved hundreds of bodies from water bodies under challenging conditions. Despite multiple attempts to inspect Arjun’s truck, the team's efforts have been thwarted by heavy undercurrents.
