Hundreds of heavy lorries stranded in Hassan district

Hassan: Hundreds of heavy lorries have been stranded at Gundya forest check post in Hassan districts for the last three days.

The National Highway 75 which connects Bengaluru and Mangaluru has been closed following a mudslide at Donigal in Sakaleshapura taluk in July.

Hassan Deputy Commissioner R Girish had ordered the closure of the road to vehicles to facilitate repairs to the damage caused by mudslide. After the completion of the repairs, the district administration allowed vehicles barring multi-axel trucks carrying loads above 20 tonnes from 6 am to 6 pm from August 16.

But the opening of the road to only some vehicles set off confusion and hundreds of tankers and lorries with heavy load came hoping to get clearance for passage. But at Gundya police stopped them triggering a protest by lorry drivers and cleaners on Friday.

Kadaba taluk lorry owners' association president Mohideen said that lorries came here thinking that the road was opened to all vehicles and urged the authorities to allow lorries which were stranded there for the past three days.

Kadaba tahsildar Ananth Shankar rushed to the spot and told the protesters that Hassan and Dakshina Kannada district administrations banned movement of six-wheeler trucks. He said lorry drivers should move on alternative routes and ruled out any concession until further orders from the deputy commissioners of the two districts.