Udupi: A Parkala-based organisation has urged the district administration to oppose the proposed development of a two-lane road and tunnel on National Highway-169A through the Agumbe Ghat stretch.

In a memorandum submitted to the Deputy Commissioner of Udupi, members of Javaner For Change (JFC) objected to the Union Ministry of Road Transport and Highways’ decision to invite tenders for preparing a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for the project, estimated at Rs 2.3 crore.

The highway connects Udupi district with Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru, passing through the ecologically sensitive Agumbe region in the Western Ghats, a recognised World Heritage landscape.

JFC members pointed out that Agumbe is rich in biodiversity and home to rare species such as the king cobra and the endangered lion-tailed macaque. The forested hills in the region intercept monsoon winds from the Arabian Sea, resulting in heavy rainfall in surrounding areas including Someshwara, Hebri, Karkala, Sringeri, Koppa and Thirthahalli. Numerous small streams originating in the Ghats help sustain rivers downstream throughout the year.

The organisation termed the proposed two-lane road and tunnel project “unscientific” and a potential waste of public funds. Instead, it called for proper maintenance of the existing ghat road by repairing potholes and addressing traffic bottlenecks at the sixth, seventh and eighth curves along the stretch.

The group also demanded strict action against illegal transportation of sand, stones and other materials on the route. It urged authorities to restrict the movement of large tourist buses on the ghat road and divert them via the Hulikal Ghat–Kerekatte Ghat route.

Additionally, JFC members called for enforcement against tourists feeding wild animals, particularly the endangered lion-tailed macaques, and reiterated their demand to drop the proposal for preparing a DPR for the two-lane road and tunnel project.