Protests held to demand passage of heavy vehicles through Shiradi

Puttur, 24 Sep 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: The Malenadu Janahitha Rakshana Vedike, along with other organisations, staged a protest at Gundya town, Nelyadi near here, to urge the district administration to allow heavy vehicles to move through the Shiradi Ghats again.

The Shiradi Ghats were closed off due to the landslides in the area which destroyed the roads. After initial repair work, the Ghats were opened for travel by light vehicles only.

Considering that the Shiradi Ghats had only recently been opened after being closed for around nine months, the protesters claimed that the closure of the Ghat roads had affected the economic, social and education systems. They, therefore, demanded that at the least, passage should be permitted for buses and six-wheeler trucks.

As the protest intensified, the highway was blocked, prompting the police to intervene and convince them not to obstruct traffic. Highway officials soon arrived at the spot after they were contacted by Uppinangady sub-inspector Nandakumar. After the officials explained the reasons and the situation to the people, the protest was called off.

A highway official said that earlier, permission was granted for six-wheeled vehicles to ply through the ghats, but this was revoked due to safety issues. He then assured the protesters that their demands would be brought to the notice of the deputy commissioners.