Bus Stuck in Slush Highlights Poor Road Conditions in Kodagu

The bus, which got stuck after heavy rains turned the muddy road into a swamp, forced passengers and motorists to wait for hours.

Madikeri: A private bus was stranded in thick slush on the Madikeri–Kattlekadu–Maragodu road on Friday, causing a traffic jam and leaving commuters in distress. The incident exposed the sorry state of the stretch, which has not seen asphalting for the past 15 years.

The bus, which got stuck after heavy rains turned the muddy road into a swamp, forced passengers and motorists to wait for hours. Locals said the situation has worsened since the road was recently dug up for laying drains, further adding to the inconvenience. “People are unable to reach their workplaces on time. Daily travel has become a nightmare,” Manjunath K, a resident of Maragodu said.

This is not an isolated case. Across Kodagu, roads have been left battered by continuous rainfall, with potholes and slushy stretches becoming a common sight. Key routes connecting villages to Madikeri, Virajpet, Somwarpet town and neighbouring towns are in poor shape, leaving school buses, private vehicles, and emergency services struggling to navigate.

Residents expressed anger over the lack of timely repair and maintenance. “Every monsoon, we face the same problem. Roads get washed away, but the authorities only carry out patchwork after repeated complaints,” said Ramprasad, an auto driver.

Meanwhile, after public and opposition BJP protested against the road conditions in the district On Friday, the ruling Congress party, which has two MLAs in Kodagu-A.S. Ponnanna from Virajpet and Dr. Mantar Gowda from Madikeri announced that road development works worth ₹186 crore will soon be undertaken in the district.

The projects will be executed through the Public Works Department, covering state highways and major district roads, according to the district unit of the Congress party.

Kodagu District Congress spokesperson A.S. Tatu Monnappa said the tender process has already been completed and that work will begin as soon as the monsoon rains subside.

To advertise on The Kodagu Express website, kindly call us at 9108795369 or mail us at thekodaguexpress@gmail.com 

Join The Kodagu Express WhatsApp Group: CLICK HERE 

Follow us on Instagram and X(Twitter)