KOZHIKODE: While the traffic block on the Thamarassery Ghat Road has been hogging headlines for the past two days, the harrowing ordeal that thousands of travellers had to endure on the 12-km-long road remains a grim reminder of the state of the arterial road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad, a much-sought-after tourist destination in the state. The recurring traffic issues on Ghat Road show the lack of will on the part of authorities to execute projects that are announced from time to time. But none of them have materialised yet.
“On October 22 morning, the 12-km-long Ghat Road was jampacked with vehicles, mainly of those who were going to Wayanad for Navratri vacation. The goods vehicles from Kozhikode also depend on Ghat Road to reach Wayanad. Thamarassery Police and Churam Samrakshana Samithi members worked hard to streamline traffic. However, the entire scenario changed abruptly as a goods lorry got stuck on the 8th bend around 3 pm on Sunday.
Due to this, the entire traffic on the Ghat Road came to a grinding halt. The long line of vehicles stretched from Vythiri in Wayanad to Engapuzha in Kozhikode. A crane truck was brought from Adivaram and the lorry was moved from the road late at night. There were tourists who parked their vehicles on the roadside to click pictures, and this led to further traffic issues,” said V K Moithu, president, Churam Samrakshana Samithi.
Traffic issues are not new to the travellers on Ghat Road. Ahead of Deepavali, Christmas and New Year, the huge traffic on the Ghat Road puts authorities on their toes. Puduppadi grama panchayat authorities met the Kozhikode district collector on Tuesday and discussed the strict measures to regulate traffic on Ghat Road during holidays.
“We have demanded a permanent crane truck service on Ghat Road to remove vehicles, tree branches etc. in case of accidents and natural calamities. The worst traffic issues are experienced on the 6th, 7th and 8th bends and the panchayat and local residents have approached the National Highways Authority of India and the state government to take necessary measures to use adjacent forest lands to straighten these bends. The measures to amend rules to make this happen have been going on for the past seven years,” said Najumunnisa Shareef, Puduppady panchayat president.
An alternative road?
Even after 29 years since the construction work started, local residents are still waiting for the completion of the Poozhithode-Padinjarathara alternative road. An action committee formed at Chakkittapara to make the proposal a reality has decided to intensify the protest against the delay in construction of the alternative road.
The work on the road, which started in 1994 with the allocation of Rs 9.6 crore, was stopped due to opposition from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. Of the 27.22-km-long alternative road, 8.88 km comes under Kozhikode district and 18.34 km in Wayanad. A distance of 12.94 km is reserved forest. Former CM K Karunakaran laid the foundation stone for the construction works on September 23, 1994.
Tarring of only 14.285 km of the road from Poozhithode-Panakkamkadavu in Kozhikode and Kutiyamvayal in Wayanad has been completed at `60 lakh. The major feature of this route is that it is of shorter distance. It is also a cost-effective alternative route connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts. “The panchayat administration has requested the state government to send a recommendation to complete the road again. There will be a ministerial-level meeting in Thiruvananthapuram to discuss further steps to be taken for the construction of the road. We are also ready to launch a protest to make the road a reality,” said K Sunil, action committee chairman and Chakkittapara panchayat president.
Tunnel Road
The Anakkampoyil-Kalladi-Meppadi Tunnel Road is another major solution proposed for easy commute to Wayanad. The proposed project not only aims to solve traffic issues, but also aims at social and economic development of Wayanad district. Spanning 22km, this ambitious tunnel road is expected to bring down the distance between Anankkampoyil and Meppadi from 42 km to less than 20 km. The 8.74-km stretch includes a tunnel from Anakkampoyil to Kalladi and a four-lane road from Kalladi to Meppadi. However, the project is still at the initial stage with the main challenge being the acquisition of 15 hectares of private land and 34.30 hectares of forest land.
Thiruvambady MLA Linto Joseph told TNIE that the preparatory work, including surveys and land acquisition of the tunnel project, is underway. “We intend to start the construction work of the project by March 2024. The distribution of compensation price will begin on November 17 and we plan to complete the process by the month end and start the tender process. In the case of Poozhithode-Padinjarathara alternative road, we are waiting for the Central ministry’s approval to acquire forest land. The same is the issue with the project to straighten the bends or widen the Ghat Road,” the MLA said.
What ails the Ghat Road
Munnar roads too witness holiday rush
Munnar: The winding roads of Munnar witnessed a heavy rush of tourist vehicles flocking to the hill station to enjoy Pooja holidays on Monday. Munnar, a preferred tourist destination, was crowded with visitors consequently resulting in traffic jams. There was heavy traffic snarl-up on the Munnar-Top Station Road with the police officials on traffic duty having a tough time managing the vehicles. Travel from Munnar to Mattuppetty takes only 15 minutes during normal days. However, on Monday, it took one to two hours for tourists to reach Mattuppetty and back due to heavy rush of tourist vehicles on the narrow roads. Local residents said traffic blocks are common on the stretch during peak season and holidays due to lack of parking facilities and narrow road. “Besides, heavy vehicles like tourist buses heading through the narrow stretch with tourists to Mattuppetty and Kundala dams most of the time cause traffic snarl-up for long hours,” Jansen C, a resident said. Similarly there was traffic block on the Munnar-Eravikulam route due to heavy tourist rush to the Eravikulam National Park. The visitor turnout at the park on Monday was full to its capacity (3,000 persons).
Rights panel intervenes
Kozhikode: Kerala State Human Rights Commission acting chairperson and judicial member K Baijunath said a practical solution to the traffic block at Thamarassery Ghat Road must be found. The commission intervened in the issue after a multi-axle cargo lorry broke down on the 8th bend of the Ghat Road on Sunday, which led to long traffic snarl-ups for five hours. Baijunath also directed Kozhikode and Wayanad district collectors and district police chiefs to submit the measures to be taken to avoid traffic blocks. The commission also directed that the recommendations should be implemented at the earliest.