Rs 94 crore tender approved for protective wall at Sampaje Ghat

Krishi Infratech, an Andhra Pradesh based company has availed the tender and a year's time has been given to complete the work. The constructive walls will come up from Kushalnagar to Sampaje.

Madikeri: Landslides in the Sampaje Ghat area which stretches across a distance of 60 km in Kodagu district on National Highway 275, have been a recurring issue during every rainy season, forcing people to take the longer route.

Incessant rains cause mudslides to occur in frequent intervals on the road near Kartoji at Madenadu of Madikeri taluk. The work of clearing the mud will be carried out till the end of the monsoon. The vehicles moving on only one side of the road, have been resulting in traffic logjam.

Even though protective walls have been built in 18 places in the stretch in 2019-20, the landslides have not stopped.

"Constructive walls have been planned in 21 more places for Rs 94 crore and a tender has been passed in this regard. Krishi Infratech, an Andhra Pradesh-based company has availed the tender and a year's time (12 months) has been given to complete the work. The walls will come up from Kushalnagar to Sampaje. Katroji, which witnesses frequent landslides every monsoon, is also included," said National Highway Madikeri Sub Division Assistant Executive Engineer G H Girish. 

DC's office wall

The protruding slabs of the protective walls of the DC's office compound adjacent to Mangaluru-Madikeri road had also been creating problems for travellers.

Following the same, vehicular traffic was banned for two weeks on the road two years ago.

A repair work in this regard was handed over to the Public Works department. However, the work is still not complete, despite the deadline extended by district in-charge minister N S Boseraju many times.

PWD Executive Engineer Ibrahim said that some work is being carried out at the top of the protective wall.

The work is to be completed before June 15. However, there may be delays due to rain. There is no possibility of slabs on the protective wall falling on the road, he added.