Wayanad: The already congested Wayanad Ghat Road that has been witnessing traffic snarls is now facing a new threat – rallies (padayatra) by various political parties. Besides political parties, three-tier administrative bodies have also launched campaigns.
Ironically, the main demand of the rallies is a smooth road journey to Wayanad.
These rallies have to negotiate the 9-km stretch of the Ghat Road -- connecting the tourism destinations of Kozhikode and Wayanad -- which is too narrow for even two-lane traffic at some parts.
The first rally announced by the UDF's Kalpetta Constituency Committee will be held on Monday. Congress leader K Muraleedharan MP would inaugurate the rally at Lakkidy. District Congress Committee president ND Appachan told Onmanorama that the participants would walk the entire stretch, up to Adivaram, in lines of two or three. The organisers are confident they can negotiate the narrow stretch without causing traffic blocks.
UDF leaders MK Muneer, MK Raghavan and Kalpetta MLA T Siddique are expected to participate in the rally.
The LDF district committee has also followed the trend and jumped in with a campaign,‘Save the Road, Save the People’. In the first phase, the LDF would rally through the proposed alternative routes to the planes and in the second phase focus on the Ghat Road development. LDF has plans to ensure the presence of Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan in a discussion session on road expansion when he visits the district in the last week of this month as part of a public interaction programme.
The rallies scheduled for today (November 11) will take the following routes: Kunkichira-Vilangad Road, Chippilithose-Thalippuzha Road and Padinjarethara-Poozhithode Road.
Meanwhile, a seminar was held recently on the initiative of Vythiri village panchayat ruled by CPM. The LDF has proposed another public meeting at Meppadi, on the need for a tunnel road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad.
Traffic on the Ghat Road came to a grinding halt on October 22, during the Pooja holidays, following which the Kozhikode District Collector Snehil Kumar Singh issued an order prohibiting heavy transport vehicles from using the ghat road between 3 pm and 9 pm on all public holidays and from 6 am to 9 am on Mondays.
