MANGALURU: For the second consecutive day, major landslides were witnessed on Charmadi Ghat in Belthangady taluk near here bringing the traffic between Mangaluru and Bengaluru to a grinding halt.
Hundreds were vehicles have been stranded along the road even as the police, firemen and locals are pressed to clear the blockage. Police said that as a result of the continuous rains that the ghat is witnessing since the last few days, earth slipped onto the road around on Tuesday morning at two places. On Monday too, the traffic on the road was affected for the most part of the day due to landslides at second and third curves of the ghat.
Dakshina Kannada SP Ravikanthehgowda said they distributed biscuits and water to stranded passengers particularly the children, elderly ones and the diabetic. He said they are making all efforts to clear the debris from the road as soon as possible. The Belthangady and Dharmasthala police are pressed into action.
The traffic on the stretch was high as Shiradi Ghat is closed for concrete works. The police have asked people travelling between Mangaluru and Bengaluru to take routes other than Charmady Ghat.