Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Aug 31: Under instructions from Dakshina Kannada district administration, trucks which were stranded at Gundya since the last 17 days were allowed to move ahead through the ghat road on Thursday August 30 with police escort.

As the Western Ghats began to receive torrential downpour since August 12 giving rise to landslides which posed danger to road users, the district administration had initially suspended vehicular traffic on this section till August 20. As the incidents of landslide continue to happen, the traffic was banned for indefinite period thereafter. Some trucks carrying goods from Mumbai to Kochi, which had no information about this ban, reached Gundya on August 13 where they were not allowed to move ahead. As such, the drivers and cleaners faced problems as they had no money or food. Malnad Janahita Rakshana Vedike volunteers provided them food and provisions to enable them to stay here.

During the protest held by the Vedike on August 27 seeking to repair the ghat road at the earliest and allow vehicles o move, MLC, Tejaswini Ramesh, who participated, had called additional secretary in the department seeking to help the truck drivers, as she could not contact the deputy commissioner. He had said he would get in touch with the deputy commissioner and take suitable action. Accordingly, after getting instructions from the deputy commissioner, Uppinangadi police allowed these trucks to move ahead.

However, people who have noted that all vehicles have now been barred from using Shiradi Ghat road, also say that vehicles of VIPs continue to flout the ban and move about routinely. They have criticized the concerned for this partiality. Many feel that the ghat road is fit for use by light vehicles but the district administration has been purposefully withholding permission to them.

MLC, Tejaswini Ramesh, too travelled to Bengaluru after the protest on August 27 in her car by this road. Even the devotees who want to visit Goddess Chowdeshwari shrine on Dakshina Kannada and Hassan districts border about five kilometres away from Gundya too are barred from going there at present.