Motorists cautioned after crack found on Thamarassery mountain pass linking Kozhikode and Wayanad in Kerala

As the monsoon rains intensify, the District Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has issued a fresh advisory to motorists using the Thamarassery Ghat Road connecting Kozhikode and Wayanad districts in Kerala after a crack developed along one side of the mountain pass near the eighth hairpin bend, raising safety concerns.

Revenue department officers with the DDMA said the stone masonry supporting the roadside was found partially separated from the main road, creating the possibility of further soil erosion due to continuous rainfall.

Tourists have been advised to travel cautiously while passing through the affected hairpin stretch.

Drivers of heavy multi-axle vehicles, especially those operating interstate services during night, have been instructed to ensure the fitness of the vehicles and avoid moving close to the risky roadside edge. The DDMA warned that the movement of heavy vehicles could increase pressure on the damaged portion and other weaker edges of the road.

Ghat Road Protection Committee members said all vehicles passing through the Ghat section should be ready to comply with the speed-limit regulations considering the rough weather alert. Reckless overtaking attempts and lane-traffic violations could even endanger the lives of fellow travellers on the rain-soaked hill road, they said.

Ban on quarrying

The DDMA’s advisory has been taken up seriously by the majority of motorists as Kozhikode continues to receive heavy rainfall, with a rough weather alert declared by the India Meteorological Department. In view of the adverse weather conditions, the DDMA has also banned quarrying, earth excavation, mining, well digging and sand-mining until further orders.

Public access to all major waterfalls, riverbanks, beaches and other waterbodies across Kozhikode district will be restricted for a few days in the wake of the IMD’s alert.

Non-essential travel to landslide-prone hill areas and Ghat regions will also be discouraged between 7 p.m. and 7 a.m. as a precautionary measure.