The district administration has banned the movement of heavy duty goods carrier vehicles in Kodagu from Wednesday [June 12] owing to the onset of monsoon.
The ban will apply to trucks carrying timber and sand, goods carriers and trucks, with a gross vehicle weight of 16,200 kg and above, shipping cargo containers, and multi-axle vehicles.
However, the restriction does not apply to containers carrying LPG, milk, vehicles on government work, school and college vehicles, and public transport vehicles.
The restriction will be in place till August 8 and this can be extened further depending on the intensity of the rains.
The restriction was necessitated as the constant travel of vehicles with heavy load tends to weaken embankments and it results in landslips.
A release said the district roads are narrow and the shoulder abutting the road lacked the strength to support heavy vehicles.
The goods carriers and multi-axle transport trucks further weakened the road shoulders and hence a restriction on their movement during the monsoon was necessitated, the release added. Besides, Kodagu is also a major tourist destination and it was in the collective interest that the restriction was being introduced.
Annies Kanmani Joy, Deputy Commissioner, Kodagu, said last year’s heavy rains had saturated the soil and the probability of landslips caused by the movement of heavy vehicles was high.
The authorities have also banned the extraction of sand besides its transportation across the district and this will be in place till the end of October.
To ensure the implementation of the order, NH 275 passing through the district will be patrolled and monitored around-the-clock, besides establishing check-posts.