COIMBATORE: Residents of the picturesque Kadalapparai in Valparai municipality have raised concerns over the dilapidated condition of the ration shop in their area. The structure, which lacks proper walls and doors, is held up only by a few boulders. Since wild elephant menace is also common in the area, the residents want the authorities to either shift the provision store to a safer location or renovate the existing facility.
Kadalapparai is surrounded by a private tea estate, where families of over 300 employees reside. The District Supply Department distributes provisions to these families from small shelters constructed by the estates. However, the locals said these shelters were constructed using boulders and had sustained damage over the years owing to elephant attacks.
R Nishanth, a local resident, said the shelter’s walls and doors are completely broken. “Despite the dilapidated condition, the staff continue to distribute provisions from here. After distribution, the remaining stock is taken back to a safe place. The only solution is to operate a full-time ration shop here by installing a secure steel container for storing the rations, since the demand for these supplies is high in our region,” he added.
Recently, residents had got into an argument with officials and ward councillor over the condition of the building. The councilor for Ward 18, P Jayanthi, who manages ration distribution said she had been demanding a safe shop in the region for the past four years.
“The existing shelters are not safe and could easily be completely destroyed by elephants. Since we have no alternative location, we have been distributing rations from the same building. Steel containers may be the only solution for this issue. We have informed the tahsildar about the situation and requested the official to arrange a safe place to store the rations,” Jayanthi said.