COIMBATORE: The sensor-based safety system that alerts vehicles at sharp hairpin bends and the solar-powered blinkers that indicate the correct route when mist covers the roads are dysfunctional on Valparai Ghat Road.
These safety measures which were installed a few years ago to prevent accidents on the Ghat road, have been left unattended. Regular users of these roads especially Valparai residents, alleged that the risk of accidents has increased and demanded the highways department to address this immediately.
In 2021, the State Highways Department installed a sensor-based safety system at the fifth hairpin bend on Valparai Ghat road to alert drivers. It works with solar energy, sensors, and a display board and warns drivers of vehicles coming from both directions when a vehicle passes within five feet of the sensor, it displays a warning message on the board and gives warning blinks on the opposite side of the hairpin bend which alerts the driver coming from the opposite direction.
The Pollachi-Valparai Road, which runs for 64 km, has 40 hairpin bends. It is also narrow in many places and has sharp bends and deep valley sides. Visibility of vehicles coming in the opposite direction at the hairpin bends is less and hence there is a risk of accidents. Hence, this system was installed.
K Vincent, a truck driver from a private estate in Valparai, who transports tea products from Valparai to Pollachi regularly, said, “Though there are many facilities on the hairpin bends like mirrors and caution boards, this sensor-based safety system was welcomed well by the road users as it alerts drivers of approaching vehicles.
However, the system is not working now and no effort has been taken by officials to fix it. We expected that it would be installed at maximum places where the possibility of accidents is high. However, they should make an effort to restart the system at the place it was introduced as it will be helpful on rainy days and summer when the number of tourists visiting Valparai increases.”
The locals also alleged that the solar-powered blinkers that are installed along the roadside across the Ghat road from Attakatti to Valparai are almost dysfunctional.
K Annamalai, a resident of Valparai, said, “The stretch between Valparai and Attakatti is mostly filled with mist associated with fog covers in the evening. Particularly the places situated around Rottikadai, Iyyarpadi and Kavarkal areas are fully covered with mist from 3 pm as those places are located on the mountaintop.
Crossing this area is very difficult in a vehicle so, everyone follows the roadside blinkers as they indicate the route. However, the situation of the blinkers is pathetic as most of them are not working and a few have fallen on the roadside. Disappearance of blinkers may lead to accidents. Hence, it should be reinstalled as soon as possible.”
Denying the complaints, a senior official from the state highways department said that all the blinkers were functional and the safety-warning systems were deserted by the department and instead they installed some safety measures at the hairpin bends.
After sending pictures about the condition of the safety warning system and roadside blinkers, he said that he would look into the issue.