THENI: Residents of Melapravu village are an upbeat lot as their long-pending dream of a bridge across the Kottakudi River will soon come to fruition. The Anaikaraipatti village panchayat began construction of the high-level bridge on August 11, 2023 at a cost of Rs 3.38 crore, and the work is expected to wind up by February 2025.
Melapravu village, which falls under Bodinayakanur assembly constituency, houses around 50 families. They all belong to the 'Paliyar' community and earn a living as farmhands. Their lives take a turn for the worse whenever the Kottakudi river is in spate. Reaching their workplaces in Uthamparai or Periyasolai becomes a challenge as swimming across the overflowing river is fraught with danger, and to circumvent the river, they have to take a 15-km detour.
Even the nearest ration shop is situated across the river in Mundal. During rainy days, the villagers have no choice but to travel the extra 15 km to source groceries. For several years, they had been petitioning the district collector and elected representatives demanding a bridge over the river. TNIE reported about their plight in September, 2022.
Subsequently, the Anaikaraipatti village panchayat discussed the issue and the bridge construction began in August this year. Speaking to TNIE, District Collector RV Shajeevana said the work was taken up under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana (PMGSY) phase-3. The bridge will have three spans of 14.6 metres in length. "We have temporarily stopped the work now since the river has heavy water flow. Some residents are still not aware that the construction has begun and they are falsely claiming that the district administration is doing nothing to help them," she said.
Meanwhile, Annaikarai Panchayat President G Loganathan said the panchayat has been executing the construction of the bridge. "Soon, the tribal hamlet will get a secure and short pathway over the river," he added.