Single lane traffic resumes on mudslide-hit Thamarassery ghat road, heavy vehicles banned

Wayanad: Traffic resumed on a single lane of the mudslide-hit Thamarassery ghat road on Friday morning. The stretch, part of National Highway-766, had been temporarily closed on Thursday after another mudslide occurred near the 9th curve in the Lakkidi area. Huge boulders and soil that had fallen onto the road were later cleared.

While visiting the mudslide-hit spot, Kozhikode Collector Snehil Kumar told the media that the Fire Force and police had efficiently managed the removal of debris from the site. He declared that heavy vehicles including buses are banned on the stretch due to safety concerns.

“ Traffic movement should be smooth in the stretch. Heavy vehicles would be slower than other vehicles due to the huge load. In view of the risk in the region, the road will be opened for buses and heavy vehicles only after inspection of geologists,” he said. 

The district collector added that the traffic woes on Thamarassery ghat road will be solved before Onam.

District authorities have warned that the road will be closed again if rain resumes in the area. Though single-lane traffic is now permitted, heavy vehicles remain banned on this stretch.

The closure of the ghat road on Thursday led to massive traffic congestion on alternative routes to Wayanad. Vehicles from Malappuram and Kozhikode bound for Wayanad were diverted via the Nadukani ghat road and Kuttiadi road, respectively.

In view of the traffic chaos, Wayanad MP Priyanka Gandhi wrote to Union Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari, urging immediate action. She requested that an expert committee be sent to Wayanad to study preventive measures against repeated mudslides on the Thamarassery pass, described as the “only lifeline” for the hill district, according to party sources.

Revenue Minister K Rajan said on Thursday that the crack responsible for the mudslide originated nearly 80 feet above the road. He was briefing the media after a high-level review meeting with the Kozhikode and Wayanad Collectors, the Land Revenue Commissioner, and disaster management officials.

A team of experts will inspect the mudslide-affected spot on Friday.