A newly asphalted road running from Udboor Gate to the Bavali checkpost inside Karnataka’s Nagarahole Tiger Reserve has developed damage at about 50 locations within six months, prompting the Public Works Department to serve a notice on the contractor and begin repairs.
The approximately 10-km road in H.D. Kote taluk was damaged at several points along the forest route. PWD engineers from Mysuru attributed the deterioration to heavy rainfall at certain locations, while villagers from Machoor, located next to the reserve, questioned the quality and durability of the work.
A PWD engineer told Deccan Chronicle that a notice had been served on the contractor over the damage. The engineer said rainfall had affected the edges of the newly asphalted road at some locations. Repair work has started on the affected portions, according to the department.
The damage has raised concerns among local residents because the road was laid only about six months ago. A Machoor villager questioned the rainfall explanation, saying water holes inside the tiger reserve were dry and that the road work had not lasted even a year. Another villager pointed to the speed restriction on the route, saying signboards direct travellers to drive at 30 kmph between Udboor Gate and the Bavali checkpost.
A traveller who used the road said gravel had been placed over damaged sections but had not been properly rolled to keep it firm. The condition of the repaired portions could affect the road’s durability and the safety of vehicles using the forest route, although the report does not specify the number of vehicles affected or whether any accidents have occurred.
The road passes through the Nagarahole Tiger Reserve, where construction and maintenance are subject to forest-related guidelines. A forest officer said the road had been asphalted in accordance with the directions issued under those guidelines.
PWD engineers also said another six-km stretch inside the tiger reserve, from Uboor Gate to the Bavali checkpost, urgently needs asphalt. The department expressed confidence that grants would be released to begin work on that section. The timeline for the grant release and the completion of repairs on the damaged 10-km stretch was not specified in the report.
