The Regional Transport Officer (RTO) Enforcement has sought to impose a ban on vehicle parking in three major spots on the Valanjanganam stretch of the Kottarakkara-Dindigul National Highway, near Kuttikkanam, in Idukki.
On August 13, a 67-year-old woman was killed, and five others, including an eight-month-old infant, were injured as boulders and soil rolled down a hill and crushed a parked car at Valanjanganam, near Kuttikkanam, around 6.30 p.m.
The district road safety council convenor and Regional Transport Officer(RTO) Enforcement Idukki Naseer P.A. recently inspected the site. According to officials, a detailed report will be submitted to the District Collector, who is the road safety council chairman of the district, soon.
“Vehicle parking should be banned in major spots of the stretch to avoid casualties. The spots are Valanjanganam, Pullupara, and Murinjapuzha. Most of the landslips and rockfalls in the area are caused due to natural calamities. The top side of the stretch is a hill with deep gorges in the portions below. The vehicle parking in these areas is very dangerous,” said Mr Naseer.
“If the panchayat needs to promote tourism activities in areas near the Valanjanganam waterfalls, the local body concerned should ensure proper parking and toilet facility,” said the official.
“Many roadside shops in the Pullupara area of the stretch are illegal. In the rainy season, water flows through the road making it slippery. The roads have vehicles parked on the sides and when other vehicles try to manoeuvre their way, accidents occur,” said Mr Naseer.
The report also recommends fixing the parking ban area board in the dangerous spots and deploying police personnel to ensure the implementation of the parking ban, says the official.
“This curvy mountainous road passes through several moderate and high landslide susceptible zones,” Sajin Kumar K.S., Assistant Professor at the Department of Geology in University of Kerala, says.
The National Highway (NH) officials also inspected the rockfall that occurred along the stretch and decided to conduct a mining and geology department-level inspection.
Valanjanganam waterfalls is one of the major tourist attractions on the Mundakayam-Kuttikkanam stretch of the highway. Another major tourist destination, Panchalimedu, also is on the stretch.
