Iritty: Just months after ₹11.75 crore was spent to renovate the Makkoottam–Perumbadi Ghat Road, sections of the route have fallen apart once again. The rapid deterioration has raised serious questions over the quality of the work and its supervision.

Around 1.1 km of the 5.9 km stretch between Perumbadi and the Kerala border, which was redeveloped in three reaches recently, has deteriorated so badly that the road is now in a worse condition than it was before the renovation. Large potholes have made the steep ghat section difficult to negotiate, while accidents and damage to vehicles have become increasingly common. The worst-affected stretch is near the Hanuman Temple at Methiyadippara, where the tarred surface has peeled away extensively, turning the road into a serious hazard for motorists.

The damage became evident after heavy rains lashed the region. The tarred surface along one of the renovated reaches was washed away almost entirely, reducing the stretch to a series of deep potholes. The rapid deterioration has sparked widespread complaints over the quality of construction and the supervision of the project.

Meanwhile, the remaining 5.8 km stretch, which is yet to be renovated, has also deteriorated further. Waterlogging at several locations has rendered parts of the road virtually impassable, forcing hundreds of motorists travelling daily between Kerala and Kodagu to endure difficult journeys.

The ongoing renovation of the ghat road in different phases began after sustained public protests and the intervention of elected representatives following a Malayala Manorama news campaign titled Kodagilekkulla Pathalam (The abyss that leads to Kodagu), which highlighted the deplorable condition of the route. The 5.9 km stretch between Perumbadi and the Hanuman Temple was subsequently upgraded at a cost of ₹11.75 crore. Earlier, renovation works had also been carried out on the Koottupuzha–Makkoottam stretch and between Memanamaakkolly and Mummadakku Curve. However, parts of those stretches have also suffered damage. The absence of concrete shoulders at several locations has also increased the risk of vehicles slipping off the tarred surface and getting stuck.

With the newly renovated stretch falling apart within months, criticism is mounting that public money has gone to waste. Although the Karnataka government is considering a ₹40 crore proposal to upgrade the remaining 5.8 km stretch, along with the unrepaired sections of the Perumbadi–Bittamkala Road, covering a total distance of 14 km, motorists and local residents say the immediate priority should be on rebuilding the damaged portions of the recently renovated road to ensure safe travel.