Buried earthmover extricated at Kalsa Bhandara site

TEAM HERALD
bureau@herald-goa.com
MAYEM: The Karnataka Nirawari Nigam (KNN) on Wednesday removed an earthmover that was buried in the landslide at the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project site near Mauli Mandir at Kankumbi-Karnataka, while efforts were on to remove the other earthmover till late Wednesday evening.
While locals expressed fear that some workers could have been trapped under the debris along with the two earth movers, a KNN assistant executive engineer and the contractor concerned have ruled out the possibility of workers getting trapped inside the canal mud.
“As some workers were working near the earthmover when the landslide occurred, there are possibilities that some labourers may have been trapped under the debris,” said a member of Maharashtra Ekikaran Samiti and local resident Kiran Gawade.
However in his statement, KNN Assistant Executive Engineer Mudhusudan said there is hardly any possibility that any labourer could have been trapped, as there is no information regarding the presence of labourers at the site when the incident took place.
Meanwhile, the four labourers who were injured in the incident are reported to be recovering at the Civil Hospital in Belgaum.
During the enquiry conducted, environmentalists have expressed fear of more such incidents due to heavy excavation of the forest land in the area that has become fragile.
Khanapur Police team under the direction of CPI Mahanteshwar visited the site on Wednesday morning and surveyed the security risks in the area.
It may be recalled that four workers were injured, while two earthmovers were buried in a landslide at the controversial Kalsa-Bhandura water diversion project site near Mauli Mandir at Kankumbi-Karnataka on Tuesday morning.
Karnataka Nirawari Nigam had started the work of Kalsa canal on war footing from November and a large number of machinery has been moved to the site .