THENI: For residents of the quaint Melapravu tribal village in Theni district, tucked away on the other side of Kottakudi river, commute is the bane of their existence. To reach work, or even to buy groceries, they have to swim across the 200-ft wide river. The primary school in their village also has to declare a holiday on most days, as the teachers find it a hassle to cross the river, wherein boat service is not viable. Road connectivity is also patchy as the village is situated in a reserve forest area.
Melapravu is located in Anaikaraipatti village panchayat which falls under the Bodinayakanur Assembly constituency. "Residents of other villages will be elated when clouds gather. But, in our village, a good downpour means the Kottakudi river will be heavily flooded and we will be cut off from the outside world. Our houses also leak during rains," the villagers said.
Nearly 50 families reside in the village and they all belong to the 'Paliyar' community. Speaking to TNIE, K Karuppaiyi, one of the villagers, said they have been urging the District Collector and elected representatives to build a bridge over the river for the past many years. "During elections, all political parties promise us a bridge over the river, but after votes fall in the ballot, everyone vanishes. Education of our children also suffers due to this. It's a holiday for the primary school here on most days. Earlier, we used to carry the kids on our shoulders and cross the river to reach schools for classes 5 and above. Now, we just admit them in hostels," she said.
Most of the residents here are farmhands. When the river is in spate, swimming across proves a challenge and many will have to miss work. The nearest ration shop is also situated across the river in Mundal. Another resident C Pitchai said, "The river is 15 km long. So, during rainy days, we have to travel 15 km around the waterbody to reach our workplaces in Uthamparai or Periyasolai. Many of us fall sick often due to this long walk in the rain. AIADMK leader O Panneerselvam has been the MLA of Bodinayakanur constituency for the past three terms. We request the authorities to take immediate steps to build a bridge over this river."
When contacted, Theni District Assistant Director for Village Panchayat S Annadurai said the village falls under a reserve forest area. "I will check what's the situation and let you know," he said.
Annaikarai Panchayat President G Loganathan said a proposal for constructing an over bridge on Kottakudi river was approved and funds were also sanctioned for the project a year ago. "A private landowner secured an interim stay on the construction from the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court. Alternative steps to acquire land for the project, without involving the petitioner's parcel of land, are under consideration. The construction of new houses for the villagers is also getting delayed due to scarcity of funds. Recently, the government has sanctioned Rs 50,000 each for the families to carry out house repair works," he added.