PALAKKAD: The Nelliampathy hill area remained cut off for the third day on Saturday as the roads are damaged and trees uprooted. Landslides have been reported from more than 80 locations in Nelliampathy. Around 3,000 people, including children, were stranded atop the hill. “The Nenmara-Nelliampathy road has been damaged severely. The bridge at Kunderchola has been washed away along with the roads in the area.
There is no power supply either in the Nelliampathy area,” said former DySP Mohammed Kasim who had travelled half way with relief materials. He said even a man on foot found it difficult to cross the Kunderchola area as it has been completely washed away and a makeshift bridge needs to be constructed for people to reach the other side. It will take another three to four months to restore the damage. Huge trees, boulders and mud have fallen due to landslides.
The three KSRTC buses and the private bus which operated to Nelliampathy from Palakkad and Nenmara have suspended their operations. The branch of a nationalised bank and the post offices at Chandramala Estate, Padagiri, Seethargund and Nelliampathy have failed to open as the staff were unable to reach the hilltop. K Babu MLA and mediapersons who reached Kunderchola were unable to proceed further due to the presence of huge boulders and trees. Minister for the development of Scheduled Castes and Tribes A K Balan said the district administration has made arrangements to build a road good enough for at least a jeep to reach the higher areas.
He said the Forest Department has deployed earthmovers, enabling a jeep to reach the top of the hill. The minister said CRPF personnel were also deployed to repair roads. Food and other essential items are being provided to those stranded atop the hill. Food and medicines have already been airlifted in a helicopter to the Nelliampathy hilltop. Meanwhile, people who went with relief materials told Express there is no road for even a jeep to reach the hill. Some Forest Department officers were misleading the minister.
For a person to walk on foot, a makeshift bridge has to be created. However, the district administration maintained the Revenue, CRPF and PWD were engaged in an exercise to a massive scale to restore the road and by Sunday a jeep will be able to move to the top of the hill. Officers at the Collectorate said there was food for three days in the Supplyco depot in Nelliampathy and in a school functioning as a relief camp. If necessary, food will be delivered by headload workers, an officer said.