VELLORE: For nearly 10,000 residents from five villages -- Agaramchery, Koothampakkam, Kollamangalam, Pallikuppam and Chinnanchery -- a 250-metre-long fair-weather crossing across the Palar river is their fastest route to reach Gudiyatham, which has become the administrative hub of the region following the trifurcation of Vellore district in 2019. The journey through the dirt road across the waterbody cuts short the otherwise tedious trip by nearly 10 kilometres. However, during monsoon season, the dirt road gets flooded, forcing the villagers to travel through Pallikonda (around 17 kilometres) or Madhanur in Tirupattur district (18 kilometres) to reach Gudiyatham for essential government and medical services and markets.
A permanent bridge via Melalathur village would reduce the distance to Gudiyatham to around 8 kilometres. A project to build a permanent bridge was previously announced, and Rs 37 crore was allocated in the 2025-26 state budget, however, the project has since remained at a standstill. During the gram sabha meetings held on October 2, the villagers passed fresh resolutions demanding the construction of a permanent bridge. Melalathur panchayat president R Sujatha said that several resolutions seeking the bridge were passed at previous gram sabha meetings as well, but no action followed.
Meanwhile, with the dirt road getting washed away every monsoon, re-laying it has become the standard practice. Agaramchery village panchayat vice president M Prabhakaran said the mud road was re-laid six times in the last five years, costing around Rs 2.5 lakh each time.
The lack of a bridge affects Melalathur residents as most of them are employed in shoe and leather factories located in Ambur and Madhanur. “When it rains, we cannot go to work, and our daily wages are affected. Our children also struggle to reach colleges and schools in Ambur and Vellore,” said Mahalakshmi, a resident.
Several farmers from Melalathur, Kollamangalam and neighbouring villages said they struggle to transport their produce to the Uzhavar Santhai in Gudiyatham on time.
M Nithya from Kollamangalam highlighted the dangers in accessing emergency care services as residents, including pregnant women and newborns, presently rely on Goodanagaram PHC for treatment. She said, “Not everybody owns a two-wheeler. In case of health emergencies, we have to rely on autorickshaws from Pallikonda, which is around seven kilometres away." V Babu of Pallikuppam said the autorickshaws are unreliable and charge exorbitant fares. “If a bridge is built, at least a mini bus can ply on the route," he said.
The transportation issue has affected local businesses, especially the traditional grass mat weavers from the region. Babu Natarajan, a mat seller from Agaramchery, said he was unable to take his mats to nearby villages whenever the dirt road gets flooded.
A panchayat official from Agaramchery said the bridge project was delayed due to lack of funding. However, an official from the Water Resources Department in Gudiyatham said they were awaiting a government order. “We had sent the budget estimate for the bridge, based on which the budgetary announcement was made. Once the G.O. is issued, the work will begin,” he said.
Former DMK union secretary for Madhanur and Gudiyatham North East, P S Suresh Kumar, resigned from the party in April 2026, dissatisfied over the project delay. A native of Agaramchery, Suresh said the villagers have been raising the demand for a bridge for nearly 50 years. "During the previous government, I had taken the issue to various senior DMK leaders, however, lack of funds was eventually cited as the reason for its non-implementation," he said.
Melalathur falls under K V Kuppam constituency. TVK K V Kuppam MLA E Thendral Kumar said he has raised the issue in the Assembly and is pushing for government approval for the project.