Monsoon hampers ghat road repair in Nilgiris district

Kallar to Kakanallah stretch to be repaired in three phases

TO GET A NEW LOOK SOON: A section of the Mettupalayam – Ooty - Gudalur National Highway. Repair work is to be carried out on the ghat road inNilgiris district. Photo: M. Sathyamoorthy

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) plans to complete the repair and maintenance works on the ghat road to The Nilgiris at the earliest.

Though it started the works last month, rain in the Blue Mountains has slowed down the job.

An official of the NHAI said that it planned to repair and strengthen the road for 114 km from Kallar to Kakanallah in three phases.

The NHAI had sanctioned Rs. 20 crore for the project. The first phase was for 12 km from Kallar to Law’s Falls (Coonoor).

Traffic to and from Udhagamandalam was made one way for a week in May to facilitate the works taken up by the NHAI.

With permission available for just the first and second phase, the NHAI continued with the works on the second phase (24 km) though there was two-way traffic flow on the road.

The official said that the workers found it difficult to take up road works in the hairpin bends when there was two-way traffic flow.

Further, with the monsoon setting in, the region experienced heavy rain in the afternoon hours.

The NHAI had no option but to suspend works when it rained or, take up the works only from morning too noon.

“We will try to complete the works as soon as possible, depending on the weather,” the official said.

He also said it would be easier to complete the works soon if one-way traffic was implemented on days when there was no rain.

Permission from the NHAI head office was awaited for the third phase. The road beyond Pykara was damaged badly and required immediate works, the official said.