VELLORE: The laying of a 6.4-km tar road connecting Peenjamandai and Muthukumaran Malai in Vellore's Anaicut block in 2023 fulfilled the decades-long demand of the villagers. However, its untarred edges erode after every rain, eventually damaging the road itself. Around 4,000-5,000 families from 82 tribal hamlets in the Peenjamandai hill panchayat, who depend on this road, have sought its repairs ahead of the northeast monsoon.
If the issue isn't addressed now, the whole stretch could eventually be damaged, affecting transportation to the hamlets, residents warned. "Even after a light rain, soil washes away, making travel dangerous for motorists. It is also difficult for two vehicles to pass the stretch side-by-side as there is no space," said D Srinivasan, a Peenjamandai resident and District Secretary (Vellore) of the Tamil Nadu Scheduled Tribe Association.
Bus facility
Despite the new road, government buses are yet to start services to Peenjamandai. Residents here travel around 18 km to Odugathur to catch a bus. "Those who have two-wheelers manage with it; others wait and hail pickup vans carrying goods to reach Odugathur," said Chinnasamy G, a resident of Nachimedu hamlet in Peenjamandai. Ambulances, too, struggled to take sharp turns on the narrow road, he added.
Teachers, who face the same difficulty on the road to reach schools, opt out of working on some days. This has led to a dearth of regular teaching staff in some Peenjamandai schools. "In some schools, the headmaster comes on two days, and the teacher comes on the other three. They take turns and come to school," said Sreenivasan.
Widening the road could resolve the main issues of safety, erosion, and its cascading effects on residents. Currently, the road is about 6 feet wide, and residents are seeking a 2-foot extension so buses can turn easily at the steep hairpin bends.
Speaking to TNIE, Anaicut BDO Vinoth Kumar said that officials inspected the area and decided to patch the untarred edges at points where the damage is severe. "Once the patchwork is done, it will reduce the flow of water and thereby prevent soil erosion," he said. However, he added, each repair required permission from the forest department because the road stretch falls under the Odugathur forest range.
Further, he said that the district administration is reviewing the possibility of running a government bus to Peenjamandai. "Earlier, trial runs were conducted with mini buses, but drivers found it difficult to turn at several hairpin bends on the stretch. It was observed that road widening at such points was required to ply buses. We have sought permission from the forest department for the same," BDO Vinoth added.