TIRUPATTUR: Accessibility is a major problem for villagers of Nekkanamalai in Tirupattur whether to carry the dead, children to reach school or for medical emergencies. This lack of road facility sheds light on the grim situation, as they had to carry a dead body in a ‘Doli’ through mountainous terrain for over 5 kms uphill at midnight on Tuesday.
“Munusami, 27, was electrocuted while working in Coimbatore on Monday. After his body was brought in an ambulance to Vaniyambadi on Tuesday, his wife and relatives made arrangements to carry the body to their native village Neekkanamalai, which does not have road connectivity,” a villager said.
The body was wrapped in a bedsheet and tied on to a stick, while relatives took the items for last rites. “As ambulance could not traverse through the hilly terrain, the body was kept at the foot of the hill so as to be carried on the Doli to the village. They lit a ‘Pandham’ and lugged the body through the tough terrains and performed the last rites there,” said a villager.
A local rued that due to the lack of road access, children had to drop out of school after standard fifth as there was no proper road for the children to reach high school. The situation is worse when it comes to attending medical emergencies and pregnant women, as they had to be brought down in a two-wheeler or Doli through the terrain to reach to the nearest PHC or hospital, the villager added.