ARIYALUR: The Kollidam boat accident in which two persons were missing and one was killed has brought into focus the long-pending demand for a bridge to connect the Ariyalur island with Thanjavur. When there is no water, the people walk on the riverbed. But when there is water in Kollidam, ferry services are sought. The island comprises of two villages namely, Naduthattu Mela Ramanallur and Keezha Ramanallur. They belong to Ariyalur district having the mainland district on the north and Thanjavur on south. Five hundred families make the villages’ population and agriculture is the main occupation.
Apart from regular trips to mainland Ariyalur, people go to Thanjavur, primarily Kabisthalam, Papanasam and Kumbakonam to sell their produce. It was said that their vegetables and spinach have good market in Thanjavur. Also many from the village study at schools and colleges in Thanjavur.
They have been demanding a bridge for a long time. On the north end though, their demands were heard and a bridge was built four years ago. It connected Mela Ramanallur in the island with Azhagiyamanavalayam village in Ariyalur. But their demand to connect the island with Thanjavur on the south never materialised. Since the release of water in Kollidam river from September 8, the residents and students of these villages started taking the ferries to go to markets, schools, colleges and other places in Thanjavur.
On September 10, forty people from Thanjavur had come down to Ramanallur by boat for a temple festival here. While leaving from Mela Ramanallur by boat in the evening, after the festival the boat carrying the people was overloaded. Reportedly the boat lost control and capsized. In this accident, two went missing and one was found dead.
Some managed to stay in a small sand dune in the middle and some had held hands and returned to the village. But three were missing of them one woman was found dead. The survivors were rescued by Kapisthalam and Ariyalur firefighters with the help of village youth. Those missing were being searched by firefighters and police from Perambalur, Ariyalur and Thanjavur district Speaking to TNIE, a resident of Mela Ramanallur, Raja Mathizhagan said, “Our family has been here for over hundred years. We cultivate vegetables and on a daily basis access Thanjavur for selling them. Be it water or no water we have to reach Thanjavur for our livelihood. Several petitions to build a bridge in the south have fell on deaf ears.”
Another villager, K Kirubakaran said, “It is a risk every day when there is water in the river. Students are at maximum risk. Without the bridge families of school-going children and college students are a perpetual fear.” The villagers proposed that they wanted a bridge connecting Mela Ramanallur to Kudikkadu of Thanjavur district.