Daijiworld Media Network - Puttur (SP)

Puttur, Nov 13: Deputy commissioners of both Hassan and Dakshina Kannada districts had announced at a press conference held recently that heavy vehicles would be allowed to ply on Shiradi Ghat stretch of national highway 75. Based on this, several heavy vehicles arrived at the spot, waited there, but took alternative routes as no official order to allow heavy vehicles on this road was received till late evening on Monday, November 12.

A number of trucks, vehicles carrying LPG cylinders, and tankers coming from the direction from Hassan queued up at Gundia Gate till evening. Heavy vehicles coming from the direction of Mangaluru also waited at Gundia. But the police personnel from Uppinangady station who have been deployed at Gundia gate did not permit heavy vehicles to move ahead. While several vehicles took a detour and opted to move ahead through alternative routes, some decided to wait there in the hope that the order will be received.

Convener of Malnad Janahita Rakshana Vedike, Kishore Kumar Shiradi, noted that during the last four months, no work to build protective walls at the spots where landslides were witnessed had been taken although they happened during August. He expressed anger at the government, highways authority, and people's representatives for becoming insensitive to the problems faced by the people.

Police are facing problems in facing the pressure from the vehicle drivers. Truck owners say they are suffering huge losses as they have to ply as per agreed rates of contract for delivery of goods and other items. There is no clue when this road will be opened and why the promise to open it on November 12 was not kept.