THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With no drivers accepting her request to take her to the hospital, Asha Mol, a resident of Thodumala settlement in Amboori grama panchayat, had no choice but to deliver at home. She took the help of a midwife, but the premature twin babies did not survive. "The nearest hospital at Mayam closes by 5 pm. Therefore, we go to the Neyattinkara Taluk Hospital which closes late, but none of the drivers was willing. This is not a lone incident but a regular affair. Drivers refuse to help as they have to commute through a road which is in an extremely terrible condition," said Ranjini, a resident.
The journey through the existing mud road which is replete with stones and potholes, is tumultuous. Delivering babies in the midst of a journey to the hospital in a boat which reaches the mainland, is a common occurence for the Kani tribesmen residing in the Thodumala settlement.
The absence of a well-constructed road is the culprit to their woes. A year ago, resident Surendran Kani passed away while commuting on a ferry on his way to the Anappara Hospital. "My brother felt severe chest pain at night. Fortunately, we managed to arrange a boat but he passed away by the time we reached the hospital. His life could have been saved if we had better roads and reached faster," said Anithakumari, his sister.
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana(PMGSY) had sanctioned Rs 7 crore to construct a road to the settlement few years ago. However, the construction was stopped halfway as it did not receive permission from the Forest Department. According to the Parassala MLA, C K Hareendran, the construction of the road was denied as per a circular issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forest. "A bitumen-laid road was denied permission as it could affect the bio-diversity of the forest. But a concrete road similar to the roads in the other settlements can be constructed," he said.
The officials with the Forest Department said an online request form regarding permission to contruct the road at Thodumala settlement was not given by the agency in charge of the construction. Wildlife clearance will be given to carry out the construction when the proposal is received through orestclearance.nic.in.Until then, the Kani community will continue waiting for a road.
Incomplete construction
The Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana had sanctioned Rs 7 crore to construct a road to the settlement a few years ago. However, the construction was stopped halfway as it did not receive permission from the Forest Department
urgency of work
According to Parassala MLA C K Hareendran, the funds sanctioned by PMGSY will expire by 31 March 2020. "Thus work should begin as soon as possible to avoid a lapse," he said