Sand lorries make drive through Charmadi Ghat a nightmare

Bengaluru: Planning to travel in the night through Charmadi Ghat to reach the coastal districts? Think again.

Local residents and bus drivers warn that every night, more than 500 sand trucks use this route to supply sand to Bengaluru, causing traffic jams and accidents on the narrow stretch.
Private and state-run bus drivers said that because of sand lorries, travel time through the ghats has increased by two-and-a-half hours.

Local residents said that it all started in April with a few lorry owners transporting sand from Mangaluru to Bengaluru. Within a few weeks, the number of trucks has increased to over 500.

“Every day, these trucks use Charmadi Ghat to move sand. It has now become very difficult to drive through this route,” said a KSRTC driver.

“As old trucks are also being used to transport sand, traffic jams have become common. It is a nightmare to drive through this road in the night. As there is no law enforcing agency, these sand lorries are flouting all rules,” he said.

“After sand lorries started using the road, accidents have become common,” said Mr Harishekhar, a local resident.

Revenue department officials seized around 30 trucks that were carrying more than 100 tonnes of sand in Beluru police limits on Saturday.

“It is a clear example of how sand is being looted from coastal districts," said an officer, who did not want to be named.

Ban
Sources said that the Dakshina Kannada district administration has already imposed a ban on the movement of sand truck sands through Charmadi Ghat after complaints from the public. “The ban is likely to be in force till June 10,” an officer said.