Landslide Near Kusamali Disrupts Traffic on Belagavi-Chorla Route; Alternative Routes in Place
Vehicular traffic over the temporary bridge built across the Malaprabha River near Kusamali in Khanapura taluk has been completely suspended since Sunday evening, following a landslide triggered by a sudden surge in river water levels.
The landslide occurred on the temporary road adjacent to the new bridge site, which was constructed to allow traffic during the ongoing bridge replacement work. The Public Works Department had dismantled the old, dilapidated bridge earlier and is in the final stages of building a new one at the same location. A temporary bypass, created by laying pipes across the river, had been facilitating traffic for the past four months.
Due to this disruption, vehicles on the busy Belagavi-Chorla state highway are now being diverted via Bailur Cross–Bailur–Habbanahatti–Jamboti. For vehicles heading towards Goa, the Khanapura–Ramanagar–Anamoda route has been suggested, officials from the taluk administration confirmed.
Heavy rains in the Jamboti area on May 25 had already raised concerns when large volumes of water flowed into the Malaprabha, flooding the area around the temporary bridge. While light vehicles were allowed for some time, traffic was closely monitored due to the risks.
Matters worsened early Sunday morning after the summer gates at the Malaprabha river ports near Amate and Devachihatti were removed, significantly increasing the river's flow. By afternoon, the water levels had risen enough to trigger a landslide on the temporary approach road at Kusamali.
As a safety measure, authorities have stopped all vehicle movement on this route since Sunday evening. Water is reportedly flowing dangerously close to the temporary road, prompting the installation of barricades and deployment of personnel at the site.
Police sources emphasized that strict precautions are in place to prevent any mishaps and urged commuters to use the alternate routes until further notice.
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