KANNIYAKUMARI: Fisherfolk have urged the state government to expedite the detailed project report (DPR) for a road link connecting all coastal villages in the district. Kanniyakumari has a 71.5 km coastline, along the Arabian Sea, starting from Arockiapuram to Neerodi covering 47 villages.
According to sources, in 2022, the state government allotted Rs 75 lakh to prepare the DPR, and the work started in 2023. It was stalled due to technical reasons and resumed in late 2024. Several fishermen association had flagged the delay the grievance day meetings.
S John Aloysious, of Thoothoor, an office bearer of the AIADMK fishermen wing told TNIE that the lack of road connectivity, especially in western areas including Kurumpanai to Midalam and Thengapattanam to Erayumanthurai, forced people to take long detours.
Neithal Makkal Iyakkam district secretary Kurumpanai C Berlin said road connectivity would improve access to Chinna Muttom, Muttom, Colachel and Thengapattinam harbours and increase fishing activity.
The director of Coastal Peace and Development (CPD) Fr A Dunston said immediate attention should be given to fix roads damaged by sea erosion during the recent cyclone. Further, he said coastal roads should be widened, and a bridge connecting Erayumathurai and Thengapattanam should be constructed. He pointed out that several fishers from Kanniyakumari travel to Kerala for work and take country boats by vehicles, adding the road link would help them a lot.
When contacted, a senior official in the state highways department said the DPR was being prepared through a private consultant. "A study is on to check the feasibility of connecting existing roads with panchayat roads in coastal villages. We are also studying the impact of waves on the roads along the coast. The study would be completed in 2 or 3 months," the official added.