Mysore/Mysuru: Six years after the road leading to Nandi statue from the View Point atop Chamundi Hill in the city was closed for vehicular traffic, following the incidents of back-to-back  landslips, the stretch of road has been reopened for traffic, rather on an experimental basis.

This decision of the authorities concerned has triggered a fresh debate, as the road is without asphalt and works on building retaining wall is yet to be completed, with 20% of the works far from completion. The surface remains to be levelled at places, with the related works still being carried out.

It is said that, once the vehicles start moving frequently, the gaps in the surface of the road will be gradually levelled. So the road has been reopened for vehicular movement. Once the works are fully completed, with the construction of retaining wall, along with the steel structure installed to support the concrete, the road will be officially reopened for traffic.

It can be recalled that, landslide had occurred on the very stretch of road thrice in the year 2019, following copious rains. The incident recurred on Oct. 20 and Oct. 31 in 2021, with huge boulders falling in the middle of the road. On Nov. 4 same year, another incident was reported, prompting Public Works Department (PWD) authorities to close the road, prohibiting vehicular movement, to avert any mishaps further.

Tender was floated in two packages to take up the road works in reinforced or retain structure model, with a scientific approach. In the first package, tender was called for an estimated cost of Rs. 9.75 crore, while the second package tender was invited for Rs. 4.9 crore.

According to PWD Engineers, the road has been built in compliance with the suggestions of experts from Indian Institute of Science (IISc). The retaining wall is being built by installing steel, to strengthen the structure, to avert any incident of landslides in the future. Chamundi Hill being a popular destination for religious tourism, has many scenic spots, including monolithic Nandi statue. The tourists and visitors alike, apart from visiting Chamundeshwari Temple, also make it a point to stopover at the view point and also the Nandi statue, making the very stretch of road busy with frequent vehicular movement throughout the day.