Mangaluru, (DHNS): Sakleshpur assistant commissioner Lakshmikanth Reddy on Wednesday said that with recurring landslides at several places on the Shiradi Ghat, traffic on the stretch has been banned till August 20. While light motor vehicles will be allowed to ply from August 20, heavy vehicles will be allowed only from August 24, he said. Public Works Minister H D Revanna, who is also Hassan district-in-charge minister said the authorities have already been sent to the affected areas, including Shiradi Ghat, to assess the damage.

The closure of Shiradi Ghat and Sampaje Ghat has cut off Dakshina Kannada from Bengaluru. The only available road connecting Mangaluru with Bengaluru and Mysuru is the Charmadi Ghat. KSRTC divisional controller, Mangaluru, Deepak Kumar told DH, “Premier KSRTC buses will not operate between Mangaluru and Bengaluru and Mysuru since they cannot negotiate curves on the Charmadi Ghat. KSRTC will operate 23 Karnataka Sarige buses to Bengaluru.” Volvos, sleeper buses and 12-metre Rajahamsa buses that left Mangaluru to Bengaluru on August 13 night did not return to Mangaluru due to the closure of Shiradi Ghat. A few Rajahamsa buses arrived in Mangaluru, he said.