KSHRC to Consider Additional Compensation for Landslide Survivor if Negligence Confirmed
Acting chairperson of the Karnataka State Human Rights Commission (KSHRC), T Sham Bhat, has announced that the commission will recommend additional compensation for the survivor of the devastating Manjanady landslide, provided a technical report by the National Institute of Technology Karnataka (NITK) Surathkal confirms negligence by local authorities. This statement came during a public grievances meeting held on Wednesday at the Dakshina Kannada zilla panchayat.
Tragic Losses and Allegations of Official Negligence
The survivor, Ashwini, suffered catastrophic losses in the landslide that occurred in May 2025. She lost both her legs in the incident and tragically lost her two children and mother-in-law. Ashwini met with Sham Bhat outside the Netravati Hall and urgently sought government job assistance and housing support, directly alleging official negligence contributed to the disaster.
Her family members presented detailed allegations to the commission. They stated that their house, which was constructed in 2017 under a government housing scheme, was incorrectly recorded in official documents as being over 80 years old. More critically, they alleged that a 70-foot hillock adjacent to the house was extensively cut using earthmovers and heavy machinery. This activity, they claim, severely weakened the slope, leading directly to the collapse during periods of heavy rainfall.
Contradictory Claims and Call for Investigation
In contrast, local authorities have reportedly maintained that any hill cutting was done manually and asserted that the gram panchayat holds no official records related to such excavation work. Faced with these contradictory accounts, Ashwini has urged the commission to order a comprehensive, state-level engineering investigation to uncover the full truth of the matter.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the meeting, Chairperson Bhat clarified the current compensation status. He noted that Ashwini has already received financial aid according to the norms established by the National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and the State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).
Commission's Directive and Legal Pathways
Bhat has directed relevant officials to obtain and meticulously examine the forthcoming technical report from NITK Surathkal. The primary goal of this review is to definitively assess whether there were any lapses or failures in duty by the local authorities.
"If negligence is established through the technical findings, the commission will actively consider recommending additional compensation for the survivor," Bhat stated emphatically. He further highlighted that, irrespective of the commission's actions, the victim retains the full right to pursue independent legal remedies if she remains unsatisfied with the official response to her tragedy.
This case underscores ongoing concerns about accountability in disaster management and the implementation of housing and land-use regulations in vulnerable areas.
