Daijiworld Media Network – Beltangady (EP)

Charmadi Ghat closed for two days

Beltangady, Jun 12: Heavy rains lashed Charmadi, Beltangady taluk and Banakal, Chikkamagaluru on Monday June 11, resulting in the uprooting of as many as ten trees in Charmadi Ghat, disrupting traffic flow and throwing life out of gear.

After the trees were removed for traffic movement at night, there were landslides at second cross and eleventh cross of Charmadi Ghat coming under Chikkamagaluru district limits at around 1.30 am on June 12, completely blocking the road.

While the road was completely closed due to landslides, more than 2,000 travellers, nearly 210 heavy vehicles and more than 50 two-wheelers were stranded on either sides of the road, police said. The travellers were provided with bananas, biscuits and drinking water on direction of the SP.

The mud was removed in a joint operation by Beltangady station circle inspector Sandesh P G, Beltangady police station traffic inspector and staff, Dharmasthala police station inspector and staff and people, who started work at 8 am under guidance of Dakshina Kannada SP Ravikanthe Gowda.

Movement of vehicles was made possible by around 3 pm. 

As the mud could not be removed completely, barricades will be erected on the road, and policemen will be deployed at Charmadi and Kottigehara, Chikkamagaluru on June 13 and June 14. Movement of vehicles on the road on these two days is completely banned.

Alternative arrangement

Vehicles going via Charmadi from Dakshina Kannada have to proceed via Naravi-Bajagoli-Kalasa-Mudigere-Belur or BC Road-Sullia- Sampaje-Madikeri route. Vehicles coming to Dakshina Kannada from Chikkamagaluru via Charmadi should arrive from Kottigehara, Chikkamagaluru via Samse, Kalasa and Bajagoli road. The SP has requested people to cooperate with the police department and national highway authority to remove the mud that has fallen on the road due to landslide.

Police help stranded passengers

There were landslides on Charmadi Ghat's second and third curves due to incessant rain and the road had to be closed for traffic. In the circumstances, hundreds of vehicles on the road could neither proceed ahead nor return from there.

Dakshina Kannada police who responded to the situation made way for them via an alternate road. However, most vehicles had stood in the queue and police had to struggle hard to vacate them.

Children, elderly people and diabetics stranded in those vehicles were suffering. There was absence of food and drinking water. Dakshina Kannada police ensured people are provided drinking water and biscuits. Police were highly appreciated for their gesture. In addition, locals too came to the rescue of passengers by providing them food and water.

Now, mud on a portion of the road is removed and one way traffic is permitted. Dakshina Kannada district SP Ravikanthe Gowda said that mud from other part of the road will be removed soon to enable two-way-traffic.