Hassan: The restoration of the Shiradi Ghat road, damaged by numerous landslides recently, may be possible only after the monsoon, and heavy vehicles will not be allowed to use it for at least six months. The worst hit could be traffic from Bengaluru and Mangaluru via Sakleshpur.
Announcing this here on Wednesday, Public Works Minister, H D Revanna said once the ghat road was temporarily repaired , it would be opened for light vehicles. “It could take a year for Shiradi Ghat to be fully safe for heavier traffic. A road has caved in on account of the heavy rainfall in the region and geologists and experts, who have been to Sakleshpur to study the soil and rock strata, have still not come up with solutions. A new road to link Sakleshpur with Somwarpet is being considered via Mageri, as the existing road was washed away in the heavy rain and landslides,” he added.
Appealing to the Union government to release Rs 2,000 crore to the state to help it carry out the repairs in the district and elsewhere following the heavy rain, he claimed it was being step-motherly towards Karnataka in release of funds.
Mr Revanna urged Union ministers from the state to persuade the Centre to give it the money it needed to tackle the Kodagu disaster and not indulge in politics on the issue.
