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Bodi ghat road shut for inter-state traffic as boulders fall

Inter-state vehicular traffic between Tamil Nadu and Kerala came to a halt on Bodi Mettu Ghat Road in Theni district on Monday due to overnight rockslides of large boulders.

Bodi ghat road shut for inter-state traffic as boulders fall
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The large boulders blocking Bodi Mettu Ghat Road in Theni on Monday

Madurai

Rockslides are a natural hazard of travel along the hilly forest of Bodinayakanur, which experienced heavy rainfall along the Western Ghats on Friday and it resulted in the rockslide on Sunday night. But fortunately, the rockslide caused no major accident as there’s no vehicular movement since COVID lockdown remains in effect, sources said. 

According to A Kumanan, Assistant Divisional Engineer, National Highways, Theni, it occurred at 107th km of Madurai-Cochin (NH-49) around 11 pm, on Sunday, dropping boulders that covered the road enormously up to a length of nearly hundred feet. The road was subsequently closed and with the aid of two rock blasting air compressors and four earthmovers, the debris were cleared to a 12-feet in width riding surface at around 1.30 pm, on Monday. 

The personnel engaged in clearing the road blasted approximately 1,100 cubic metres of rock after obtaining permission from Forest, Revenue and Police. Boulders dropped were up to 20-meter long. It’s an unexpected occurrence since it’s a massive rock area and mostly rocks in loose soil areas would slip during occasions of heavy rainfall. It did not rain heavily on Saturday at the locality, where the rockslide happened, Kumanan said. 

Police check posts at Munthal in the plains of Bodinayakanur and in Bodi Mettu have alerted and diverted the vehicle users. Bodinayakanur Deputy Superintendent of Police G Parthiban said the interstate road transport has been diverted through Cumbum for essential services and the local authorities are in touch with authorities in the neighboring Kerala. However, it would take a day’s time to clear the debris completely to ensure resumption of road transport, the DSP added.

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