More than 150 cars and other private vehicles had lined up at Gundya Gate on Wednesday to move via Shiradi Ghat towards Hassan following Tuesday’s statement from Hassan Deputy Commissioner Rohini Sindhuri that the ghat road will be opened for light motor vehicles from Wednesday afternoon.
With no written order in place, the Dakshina Kannada district police found it impossible to allow vehicles to move via Shiradi Ghat which has been closed for traffic since August 13 following landslips at several places. They asked vehicle users to take alternative routes, including Charmadi Ghat.
Meanwhile, members of Malenadu Jana Hita Rakshana Samiti held a demonstration at the location criticising the attitude of the authorities in not allowing vehicular movement. Samithi leader Kishore Shiradi told The Hindu that the authorities were talking in different terms.
When people warn of agitation, they talk about allowing vehicles and when the agitation is withdrawn, they go back from their words. Hence, the samithi would go ahead with the agitation, he said.
The Civil Engineers’ Association, Puttur, had suggested, after a team led by its president K. Shankar Bhat inspected the ghat recently, that the ghat could be opened for light vehicles, including buses, if one-way rule is imposed at certain locations.
Managing the piling up of vehicles at Doddatappalu in Sakleshpur taluk, uphill Shiradi Ghat, could be the only major concern as a portion of the highway for a length of about 500 m was affected by landslip. A huge hillock abutting the stretch had caved in on the road and soil had moved down, threatening the road.
However, with one-way enforcement as ordered by the Hassan Deputy Commissioner, vehicular movement may not be affected.
Demand to allow buses
The decision of the Hassan and Dakshina Kannada district administrations to allow only light motor vehicles on Shiradi Ghat has surprised many, who have demanded that buses too should have been allowed.
Even the National Highways Division of State PWD had recommended allowing LMVs as well as passenger buses with proper enforcement of one-way rule at affected locations.
Dakshina Kannada DC S. Sasikanth Senthil said Assistant Commissioners of Sakleshpur and Puttur inspected the ghat on Wednesday and were of the opinion that buses, besides goods vehicles, should not be allowed for now.
Members of ConnectustoMangalore Whatsapp group, who had recently launched a Twitter campaign on the subject felt buses should have been allowed with proper management of one-way rule at affected places.
