Mangaluru: With the Charmadi ghat section closed for a month for repairs following the recent landslides on NH 73, those travelling to Chikkamagaluru, Shivamogga and north Karnataka districts from Dakshina Kannada are likely to have a hard time.
The Charmadi ghat located between Belthangady and Mudigere is the main connecting point between the district and these parts of the state. The inconvenience is likely to be massive as 73 KSRTC buses ply every day from Dakshina Kannada to North Karnataka districts via the Charmadi ghat.
“All the buses on this route have now been diverted to NH 75 via the Shiradi ghat- Sakaleshpur-Belur route, which makes the distance 39 kms longer and takes an hour more to cover,” said KSRTC officials. With the Shiradi ghat seeing heavier traffic than usual following the diversion, commuters are not having it easy on this route either. Their only consolation is that the work on clearing the debris on Charmadi ghat has begun.
“There has been massive damage to the road here. We have banned all traffic in the section for a month to do the repairs. But if the rain continues it may be difficult,” said Dakshina Kannada deputy commissioner, Sasikanth Senthil.
“We will try to complete the basic work at the earliest so that at least the light vehicles can be allowed on the route,” he added. The Charmadi ghat was among the many areas in the Western Ghats, which bore the brunt of the recent rain and floods that claimed several lives , displaced many more and destroyed crops and plantations in the region. Initially the section was closed only until August 14, but the ban on traffic on the route was extended on Wednesday by a month.
