The Visakhapatnam Beach Road is at imminent risk of landslides along its 23 km stretch, as is the railway track between Visakhapatnam and Kirandul, due to the continuous rains that began on July 19 in northern coastal Andhra Pradesh, experts have warned.
On Monday, some smaller boulders rolled down and struck the compound wall of the Telugu Desam office near Ramnagar, though no injuries were reported. Additionally, boulders fell from a hill in Sanjeevinagar Colony in Gajuwaka, causing panic among residents.
Prof. E. Dhananjay Rao from the Department of Geology at Andhra University stated, “The issues with Kailasagiri Beach Road and the Vizag-Kirandul rail track are man-made. The Kailasagiri Hill was improperly excavated to construct the Beach Road, and district officials failed to take necessary precautions against rock falls. If rainfall continues for a week, there is a significant risk of rocks falling onto the road. The danger extends along the 23-km Beach Road wherever hillocks are present.” He noted that over the past two decades, several lives have been lost to falling boulders during the rainy season.
On October 26, 2019, large boulders fell onto the Beach Road near the Kailasagiri hillock, blocking the busy road for hours. Similarly, landslide incidents between Vizag and Kirandul through Araku Valley frequently occur during monsoons.
In a tragic event on August 4, 2006, massive boulders crashed onto Kodipunjuvalasa village in the Araku mandal of the Visakhapatnam agency, killing 18 people and destroying 15 houses, leading to the village’s complete relocation.
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