“In my 25 years of service, I saw the ghat stretch of National Highway 75 between Sakleshpur and Gundya in good condition only for about two years,” said Manjunath Achar, a conductor with Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC).
The ghat stretch never returned to normal condition after transportation of mining dust from Ballari region to New Mangalore Port started, Mr. Achar said while keeping a watchful eye on the pothole-ridden NH 75 between Sakleshpur and Maranahalli in Hassan district to alert driver Shivanand of imminent danger during one of their night trips from Bengaluru to Mangaluru.
Looking at the condition of the road, it appears certain that the coastal areas would be cut off from Bengaluru and other regions when heavy rains lash the Western Ghats during the oncoming monsoon, Mr. Achar said.
Mr. Shivanand said maintaining the highway in good condition and executing the four-lane project would not have been a Herculean task if there was political will. “We don’t have politicians with conviction to do public good,” he rued.
The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI), that is executing four-lane work between Hassan and Maranahalli, has not taken any step to keep the Sakleshpur-Maranahalli stretch of NH 75 in motorable condition. NHAI’s request to the Hassan Deputy Commissioner for permission to close the 10-km Donigal-Maranahalli stretch of NH 75 for six months in December last to carry out repairs was met with stiff opposition by road users and trade bodies.
Trade chamber’s stand
In January 2022, the Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI), Mangaluru, had urged the Karnataka Government not to allow complete closure of NH 75 between Donigal and Maranahalli, as it would severely affect the export and import trade through New Mangalore Port.
The administration did not take any decision on NHAI’s plea for closure of the highway. The NHAI did not commence preparatory work for the four-lane road on this hilly terrain.
In another letter last week, Chamber President Maroor Shashidhar Pai drew the attention of Hassan Deputy Commissioner R. Girish to the poor condition of the 10-km stretch and urged him to ensure that the NHAI immediately asphalts the road. Otherwise, connectivity between the coast and regions around Bengaluru is bound to snap during the monsoon.
