CUDDALORE: The hardship faced by residents of Veerasozhapuram near Kattumannarkoil to carry a 92-year-old man's dead body across an overflowing Rajan Canal to reach their burial ground on Friday has again brought to fore, the long-pending demand for a bridge in the village.
Over 100 families reside in this village. "Whenever there is heavy water flow in northern Rajan Canal, only people who are adept at swimming can carry the bodies to the burial ground on the Kollidam riverbed. For several years, we have been petitioning the panchayat union officials for constructing a bridge here. However, no action ensued," a source from the village said.
On Thursday, Kaliyamoorthy (92) passed away in the village. A few people who knew swimming got down into neck-deep water and carried the body across the canal. "There have been instances earlier when no one volunteered to enter the overflowing waterbody. In times like that, we cut down banana trees and used it as a base to place the body. Then, we use ropes to pull it across," a villager said.
Upon hearing about the incident, Cuddalore District Collector Sibi Aditya Senthil Kumar announced that Rs 20 lakh will be allocated to construct a pedestrian bridge over Rajan Canal. "As an immediate relief owing to the monsoon, a temporary bridge will soon be installed in the area," he said.