Already facing repeated incidents of elephant attacks, the residents of Hebbanahalli near Belagodu in Sakleshpur taluk now have another problem at hand. They are worried about the safety of their houses, thanks to an underground tunnel, which is part of the Yettinahole project. A few houses in the village have developed cracks following the high-intensity blasts conducted for the tunnel.
As part of the Yettinahole project, which takes water from the Western Ghats to dry areas in Kolar, Chikkaballapur and other districts, an underground tunnel (1.12 km) is being constructed at Hebbanhalli. During the blasts, the residents felt vibrations. Gradually, walls have developed cracks, leaving residents worried.
A couple of months ago, a portion of the tunnel collapsed, forcing the contractor to take up large-scale excavation work in the village to trace the location of the damage to the tunnel.
