Karnataka landslide: Dredger, barge to be explored in search for Arjun

Shiroor: The search for Arjun, the Malayali lorry driver who is suspected to have been trapped under soil in the Karnataka landslide, has been temporarily halted. Authorities have maintained that the search will resume once a barge arrives by road from Tiruchirappalli in Tamil Nadu. This is expected to take at least four more days.

In the meantime, Karwar MLA Satish Sail has stated that the search will not be entirely suspended, and will recommence once the Gangavali River calms. He clarified that monitoring in the area will continue under the leadership of the State Disaster Response Force (SDRF). 

Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has also written to his Karnataka counterpart Siddaramaiah, requesting that the search be continued.

However, the diving experts, led by Ishwar Malpe from Kundapura, have left. The National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) and the Coast Guard are also awaiting an official announcement from the government. Experts have expressed doubts about the effectiveness of the search.

In the midst of this, Kerala has expressed interest in deploying a dredger from Thrissur for the search in Shiroor. MLA M Vijin mentioned that they are prepared to bring an auto-dredger craft from the Agricultural University. However, the Uttara Kannada Deputy Commissioner has not yet granted permission. They are currently assessing whether it can be used in the heavy water current conditions before deployment. Major General M Indrabalan (retd) has suggested that a ‘junkar', used in the Kochi backwaters, would be suitable for blocking the flow.
 

Arjun’s family in distress

“How will I return home without Arjun? How can I face the family without him? I trusted Karnataka’s systems and have awaited a response for so many days. I don’t think he will be found even in forty days. I am uncertain whether the search is being halted temporarily or permanently. I understand the challenging circumstances, but shouldn’t they use machinery to aid the search?” said Arjun’s brother-in-law, Jithin.

According to his sister Anju, despite locating the spot of his lorry, there is no further information. “Our mother has been asking for the past fifteen days what happened to him. What will we tell her? I’m not blaming anyone, but we were hopeful of finding him,” she added.