Movement of vehicles on the road leading to Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills in Gundlupet taluk of Chamarajanagar district in Karnataka has been been prohibited for two days — on July 29 and 30 — to facilitate emergency repair of the road damaged by landslides. Deputy Commissioner of Chamarajanagar Shilpa Nag, in an order dated July 28, prohibited all types of vehicles on the stretch of road from the forest checkpost at the foothills of Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills to the temple atop the hills on July 29 and 30 to undertake emergency repairs. The road leading to the Himavad Gopalaswamy Hills, which is maintained by the Public Works Department, was damaged in a landslide on July 17 following heavy rains in the area. After the landslide led to the collapse of the retaining wall at chainage at 9.9 km, a tree fell on the road at chainage 8.3 km, and damaged the retaining wall on July 26. On July 28, another landslide occurred at 9.9 km chainage, forming a deep pit on the road, severely affecting vehicular movement. The road is the only way to access Himavad Gopalaswamy temple, situated at the top of the hill within the reserved forest area, which is visited by a large number of devotees. The month of Shravana, which commenced on July 25, brings in a large number of visitors to the temple. A team of officials from the Public Works Department and Forest Department inspected the damaged road, and urged the district administration to prohibit vehicular traffic till the road is repaired. The Deputy Commissioner of Chamarajanagar district, in the interest of public safety and to complete the repair work at the earliest, invoked provisions under Motor Vehicles Act, 1988, Karnataka Motor Vehicles Rules, 1989, and Section 3 of the Karnataka Traffic Control Act, 1960, to prohibit traffic on the road on July 29 and 30.