As many as 17 mobile parties i.e., squads on two-wheelers have been pressed into service on the two ghat roads leading to Udhagamandalam to clear traffic snarls and ensure smooth flow of traffic, said P. Sivanandi, Inspector-General of Police, West Zone on Tuesday.
With the summer season picking up and tourist inflow increasing to the hill-station, efforts are on to ensure smooth flow of traffic.
Mr.Sivanandi said that ten two-wheeler mobile parties are being pressed into service on the Mettuppalayam – Coonoor – Udhagamandalam road and seven on the Mettuppalayam – Kotagiri – Udhagamandalam Road for patrolling the ghat section and to regulate the flow of traffic.
In addition, Mr.Sivanandi said that a standby reinforcement of 50 police personnel from the Armed Reserve are kept in a state of readiness at Mettuppalayam for meeting any contingencies if any such as clearing of traffic snarl caused by break down of vehicles on the ghat section in addition to removal of fallen trees.
The decision to keep reinforcements on standby was taken following the recent incident of gusty winds leading to uprooting of trees thus causing a traffic hold up for kilo metres together on either side on both the ghat sections.
The traffic flow, regulation and enforcement are being closely monitored by officials who are permanently posted at Mettuppalayam.
