Madikeri: All glass bridges operating in Kodagu district will have to close operations till Sept. 15, 2024, ordered Kodagu DC Venkat Raja. It was announced during a meeting on natural disaster management at the DC Office auditorium yesterday.

The order follows a precarious situation involving a glass bridge installed just four months ago at Nandi Motte in Hebbatageri village in Madikeri taluk. A landslide beneath the bridge on Wednesday caused its three supporting pillars to become unstable, a situation worsened by heavy rains which further destabilised the hilly terrain.

The DC stated that immediate orders have been issued to halt construction of any glass bridges until Sept. 15 and even operation of existing bridges — authorised or unauthorised — will be stopped due to the lack of safety measures in place.

He questioned how safety certificates were being provided for these bridges without adequate precautions and asked who would take responsibility if any issues arose from the lack of safety. He objected to the practice of glass bridge operators obtaining a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the local  Gram Panchayat (GP) with Zilla Panchayat (ZP) and Tourism being unaware of them.

Given the large number of tourists visiting these glass bridges, Panchayat officials were cautioned to take responsibility for any problems that might arise. With the district experiencing significant rainfall and likelihood of more rain in July-August, officials need to exercise extra caution in managing natural disasters, he said.

Disaster relief measures

In the first week of July, a Karnataka Development Programme (KDP) meeting will be held under the Chairmanship of the Kodagu District Minister. Officials were instructed by the DC to provide complete information related to their respective departments by July 5. They were also advised to study the issues plaguing pending development works and then attend the meeting.

Given the good rainfall in the District, attention needs to be paid to Govt. buildings, including schools and colleges. Information about schools with inadequate infrastructure should be provided and all Panchayat Engineers were directed to take necessary action in this regard.

Public safety paramount

Regarding construction of bridges and roads, safety precautions must be taken. No compromises should be made in ensuring public safety, said the DC, emphasising importance of adhering to safety measures.

“Due to heavy rainfall expected in the coming days, no one should venture out from their central locations without permission and there is no need to travel to Bengaluru for meetings. The Chief Minister’s Office will grant permission based on representations made to them,” Venkat Raja noted.

SP K. Ramarajan underscored the need for increased attention to road safety on both National and State Highways. Accidents can occur due to slippery conditions. Information pamphlets should be distributed & roads repaired as necessary.

Dist. Disaster Management Officer R.M. Ananya Vasudev has been advising caution & monitoring situations in flood-hit areas. Asst. Commissioner Vinayak Narvade, Dist. & taluk-level officers were present.

‘Awaiting guidelines’

There are currently 2 glass bridges in Kodagu and there have been requests for similar facilities at Bhagamandala, Ibinivaladi, Boikeri and Kedakal where landowners have applied. Presently, there are no established safety & legal guidelines for glass bridges. All 25 activities in Kodagu adhere to specific procedures and guidelines, but the concept of glass bridges is new. We have reached out to the Tourism Department Director to seek guidelines and clarity on this matter. In July, there will be a policy formation meeting in Bengaluru where we intend to address this issue. —Anitha Bhaskar, Deputy Director, Tourism Dept., Kodagu