TIRUPATTUR: A 65-year-old man’s collapse and subsequent death in front of a medical shop on Wednesday has brought to the fore the laxity of authorities in providing road facilities to the hilly village of Neknamalai near Vaniyambadi.
Relatives of the deceased man, Munuswamy, claimed that he died due to the stress of walking 7 km on a mud road to reach a medical facility.
The 250-odd residents in Neknamalai must travel 17 km to Alangayam to access medical and ration shop services. Of these 17 km, there is no tar road for around 7 km. Munuswamy, who had been living alone after his wife’s death, allegedly walked this 7 km down the hill.
Although there is no official confirmation that he walked the entire distance, villagers claim that he did, and believe his death resulted from the trek. After he collapsed outside a medical shop, passersby rushed him to Vaniyambadi GH, where he was declared dead on arrival.
His body was later taken back to Neknamalai in an ambulance donated by TV serial actor Bala. The villagers said they had been petitioning the authorities in vain for the past several years seeking road access to their village.
On Thursday, collector K Tharpakaraj said a proposal for road for Neknamalai had been uploaded to the Parvesh Portal. The project faced delays due to the need for a DGPS survey, which was hindered by poor signal reception.
He added that despite these obstacles, necessary reports were submitted over the past five months and an approval is expected soon. “Efforts are also being made to provide temporary healthcare and ration supply facilities for the residents of Neknamalai,” the collector further said.