Following overnight rain, a landslide in the Shiradi Ghat section disrupted traffic movement between Bengaluru and Mangaluru on National Highway 75 on Thursday, July 22. Traffic on the route was diverted to Charmadi Ghat and Sampaje Ghat, and the National Highways Division of the Public Works Department was asked to take up restoration work.
The landslide occurred near Donigal in Hassan district. Hassan Deputy Commissioner R Girish inspected the spot before taking the decision to stop vehicular movement on the road. It was decided to reroute the traffic from Maranahalli check post on Thursday. "It was closed from the Hassan side for the time being and we are diverting the traffic to Charmadi Ghat and Sampaje Ghat route. We are informing people about the changes," Dakshina Kannada DC KV Rajendra said.
Discussions were held between the deputy commissioners of Hassan, Dakshina Kannada and Kodagu about the diversion of traffic. "We have requests from companies like the New Mangaluru Port Trust (NMPT) to allow the movement of heavy vehicles on the Sampaje Ghat. We are discussing the diversion of traffic," Rajendra added. The NMPT operates the New Mangaluru Port in Mangaluru.
A landslide that occurred in the region previously had disrupted vehicular movement on Shiradi Ghats during the monsoon season in the last two years. Shiradi Ghat is among the major routes connecting Bengaluru with the coastal city of Mangaluru.
The landslide on Thursday was reported at a time when coastal districts of Karnataka are predicted to face widespread moderate to heavy rains, as per the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC). A red alert was issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday for the three coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada, Udupi and Uttara Kannada. An orange alert was issued for Belagavi, Dharwad, Chikkamagaluru, Hassan, Kodagu and Shivamogga districts.