Residents asked to relocate as cracks appear in retaining wall near Sringeri taluk office

Chikkamagaluru: Residents and traders living below a newly constructed retaining wall near the Sringeri taluk office and Goligudda Hill in Bharathi bidi have been advised to relocate after the structure developed major cracks and began to bulge, triggering fears of a possible collapse.Tahsildar Anup Sanjog said those without alternate accommodation would be shifted to a relief centre, while traders would be provided space to store their goods if needed. He added that mud from the top of the retaining wall would be removed to reduce pressure on the structure.Built six months ago at a cost of Rs 1.8 crore to prevent erosion of Goligudda Hill, the retaining wall overlooks several houses situated downhill.

The taluk office is located nearby, and the hill is locally known as Firingudda.According to officials, continuous rainfall over the past four to five days led to cracks appearing in the wall. By Thursday morning, the cracks had widened significantly, and the wall had started bulging, causing panic among local residents.Locals alleged that the structure was poorly constructed. Traders and residents Vijay Kumar, Vinay Kamath, Rajesh and Arjun warned that continued rainfall could cause the entire wall to collapse.

“This poses a threat not only to the dargah and taluk office, but also to houses on Bharathi bidi,” they said.Former MLA DN Jeevaraj accused officials of permitting unscientific and substandard construction. He demanded an inquiry against the officials concerned and called for the contractor to be blacklisted.“The retaining wall built near the MLA’s garden was of good quality, but the one near Sringeri dargah developed cracks within months. This has created many problems for the public,” he said.Jeevaraj further warned that the MLA, district administration and taluk administration would be directly responsible if the wall collapses, and sought legal action against those responsible for the project.