The movement of vehicles on Charmadi Ghat (NH-73) has been banned till Thursday midnight following landslides and uprooting of trees due to rain.
Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Sasikanth Senthil S said on Wednesday that the work on clearing the stretch was in progress.
The National Highway executive engineer had sought the deputy commissioner to ban movement of vehicles on the stretch for two days to ensure speedy execution of the work.
A team consisting DC Sasikant Senthil, DK Superintendent of Police Laxmiprasad, Beltangady tahsildar Ganapaty Shastri and forest officials visited the spot at midnight. The commuters struck on various stretches of the ghat were rescued immediately.
With the closure of Charmadi Ghat, vehicles are diverted via Ujire-Dharmasthala-Kokkada-Gundya-Shiradi (NH 75). From Mudigere handpost, the vehicles are diverted to via Jannapura-Aanemahal-Shiradi-Gundya (NH 75).
Heaps of soil had fallen on the road near Malayamarutha, on Charmadi Ghat. The landslides had occurred at around nine locations on the stretch.
All the KSRTC buses bound to Dharmasthala and Mangaluru are stranded at Kottigehara bus stand.
The train service on Mangaluru-Bengaluru stretch was cancelled on Wednesday following landslide on Sakaleshpur-Subramanya Road Ghat section.