TIRUNELVELI: The residents of Maruthankinaru and Kalappalankulam villages in the Kuruvikulam block have urged authorities to complete the reconstruction of the road abandoned midway four months ago after the hike in bitumen price triggered by the US-Iran conflict.
The villagers complained that their villages have almost become like an inaccessible island as sharp blue metals lie scattered on the under-construction roads.
“More than 2,000 people reside in Maruthankinaru. The repaving of the three-kilometre village road commenced in January. We were depending on this road to reach Sankarankovil town to avail treatment as our village lacks a government or private health institution. Our children ride bicycles on this road to reach their schools.
Farmers had been using this road to transport their produce to the markets in different towns. However, we are in distress over the past several months as our road has turned unusable,” said R Chellapandian, a farmer of Maruthankinaru village. R Sundar, a professor from Maruthankinaru, said the sharp-edged metals damage the tyres if vehicle users attempt to use this road.
“The decision to run minibuses on this road had to be reconsidered by the authorities,” he added. G Shanmugaraj of Kalappalankulam village said that the strengthening of his village road at a cost of `48.31 lakh was abandoned midway four months ago.
“School children using this road often end up falling on the scattered blue metal and returning home with injuries. On Friday, a cow slipped on the road and sustained several injuries,” he said.
When contacted by the TNIE, Block Development Officer of Kuruvikulam Mallika, said that in her block alone, six road works were incomplete due to Bitumen price hike in the wake of tensions in the Middle East.
“Villagers are really suffering due to incomplete roads. People of K Pudur were involved in an argument with me in this connection. However, I have explained the situation,” she added.