MALAPPURAM: A youth collective in the tiny hamlet of Orulummada, near Kalikavu, Malappuram, has come up with a “flavourful” proposal -- a biryani challenge, on May 20 -- to fund the construction of boundary walls for homes along a key artery. Part of Chokkadi panchayat, Orulummada suffers from poor road connectivity. During the 2018 floods, residents lost the lone three-foot-wide bridge which connected them to Kalikavu town.
Though the Army went on to construct a temporary bridge, that was also washed away in the heavy rain. The residents’ long wait for a bridge became a reality when the Malappuram district panchayat constructed a six-foot-wide bridge. But with no public stretch available to build the approach road on the Orulummada side, local residents were asked to arrange the land.
“Travelling to Kalikavu town was proving very difficult. We were helpless even when having to deal with emergencies. This formed the basis of our demand for a wider bridge and approach road. That’s why the club decided to take up the matter,” Basheer, president of the Kairali Arts and Sports Club, said.
A local resident named Kalarikkal Kunhappu donated 32 cents of land. But the approach through the plot would have created another bottleneck, and more land was sought for widening the road. However, most of the families with adjacent plots are small landholders. And they were initially reluctant to give up their plots.
“The club took it upon itself to resolve the issue. We assured families of building boundary walls to protect their homes, and finally, they agreed. Despite the best efforts the road will be limited to a width of five feet for a 1km stretch. We are conducting the biryani challenge to raise money for the boundary walls,” Basheer added.
Construction work is expected to cost nearly Rs 2 lakh.