No-barrier stretches on Dhimbam Ghat Road make driving too risky

ERODE: The protective walls on both sides of Dhimbam Ghat Road, a stretch that connects Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, are completely damaged for long stretches, posing life-threatening danger to motorists. The walls are cracked from the foundation in several places. For drivers, especially those on two-wheelers, it's a scary challenge.
"Most side walls of the ghat road are damaged to such an extent that they are almost non-existent.The highways department officials have still not taken any steps to reconstruct the protection walls," said S K Nandhakumar, a truck driver. Motorists have to be extra careful while driving at night on the stretch.
Dhimbam Ghat Road has 27 hairpin bends and it is the primary route for truckers carrying goods from Tamil Nadu and Kerala to the northern states via Karnataka. Similarly, trucks carrying steel, cement and pulses from northern states enter Tamil Nadu from the ghat road, making it an arterial stretch.
With the ghat road being busy round the clock and accidents a common occurance, road users have demanded the national and state highways department officials to "not turn a blind eye towards its maintenance".
Also the lack of streetlights has always been a cause for concern, with motorists solely depending on the headlights to steer themselves on the winding route. "You can't lose your concentration on the stretch. Mistakes can result in vehicles ending up in deep gorges," said M Mahesh, another driver.
When contacted by TOI, the state highways department officials said that they have sent a letter to the Tamil Nadu government, seeking permission to widen the road. "We will initiate the work once we get money and permission from the government," the official said.