Daijiworld Media Network - Chikkamagaluru (SP)
Chikkamagaluru, Oct 16: Landslide occurred at Charmadi Ghat road that connects Dakshina Kannada district with Chikkamagaluru. It happened between 5.30 and 6 pm on Sunday October 15, and was caused by incessant rain the area has been experiencing.
Although the road is busy with buses and other vehicles moving all day through, luckily there were no people or vehicles nearby when a part of the hill caved in. At the same time, it gave rise to panic in the minds of road users about the possibility of landslide happening again on a larger scale. Mostly tourists use this road, and they spent anxious moments as traffic jam was experienced at the spot for about an hour after the incident. As the road is narrow at the spot where the landslide happened, long line of vehicles got stranded on both the sides of the road. Police personnel from Banakal station arrived on the spot later and arranged for smooth flow of traffic.
Vehicles which move on Charmadi Ghat road are always apprehensive about the dangers posed by narrow road, landslide, or hurtling down of boulders as the area receives rainfall for most part of the year. Many allege that sand laden trucks coming from Dakshina Kannada which have been taking this road since dusk, have been causing the roadside hills to suffer landslides. Landslide had also happened on the evening of Saturday. Locals want the district administration and state government to take this issue in all seriousness and take suitable steps to extend protection to people using this road.