DHARMAPURI: Residents in rural areas around Bommidi are distressed by the Southern Railway's 'unannounced' blockage of the underpass near the railway station.
The underpass near Bommidi Railway Station was constructed to improve connectivity between Vidivelli, Bandarachettipatti, Thippireddihalli, Kondagarahalli and other rural panchayats.
However, on Saturday, the Southern Railway blocked the underpass by depositing gravel and sand, effectively cutting off access to several panchayats. The commuters now have to take a nearly 7-km detour to their homes. Irked by this, local residents have urged the Southern Railway to take steps to allow traffic flow through the underpass.
Speaking to TNIE, B Sivakumar from Kondagarahalli, said, "Most of the people in rural Bommidi rely on the underpass to transport their produce to the markets and milk loads from the societies also reach our village through here.
The sudden unannounced closure of the underpass has caught people off guard and left us unprepared. From accessing markets to making milk deliveries, every aspect of farming has been affected."
Another resident, J Kumar from Bommidi, said, "The underpass closure was part of the Bommidi station's efforts to construct a pedestrian subway. This project is completely unnecessary, as the station already has a subway.
Furthermore, the construction disrupts the route to many rural areas. The Southern Railway must take people's needs into consideration before carrying out such projects. Because of the sudden closure, many villages' access to healthcare, schools and government offices have been denied."
When the TNIE reached out to officials in the revenue department, they said, "On Saturday night, the underpass was indeed closed. But following talks with the railway officials, the underpass has been opened for public use. There is no issue here. They are undertaking railway development work on railway land and we don't have a say on the matter."