ERODE: As many as 82 families belonging to the Solaga community, residing at Kathirimalai village in Chennampatti forest range in Erode, are left in the lurch after a single-layer partially-built macadam road that was built by the government for Rs 1.2 crore in 2022 got washed away in the recent rain. Without direct road from Anthiyur, the villagers are forced to travel to Kathiripatti in Salem and proceed towards Kolathur for daily needs.
M Madhesh, a resident of Kathirimalai, said, “ At first, there was only a crude path. In 2022, work for a nine-kilometre macadam road was started from Kathripatti to our village. The work was completed only for a few kilometres, Chief Minister M K Stalin inaugurated it through video conference. The road was never completed. The recent rain has rendered the road completely unusable.”
“Usually, a privately-owned tractor in Kathripatti used to bring essentials to our village on a fee basis. But now, with the road damaged, the tractor is unable to reach us. Due to this, we are neither able to take any produce to Kathripatti nor bring essential commodities from the PDS shop there. Besides, school teachers who come to our village have to travel on the same road. Now that is also affected. The government should take steps to quickly repair the road. A permanent solution should be found for this problem ,” he added.
Anthiyur MLA A G Venkatachalam told TNIE, “The road construction work worth Rs 1.2 crore is yet to be completed. However, most of the part was finished but that was also damaged due to the rain. At present, officials have been instructed to repair the road. The government is planning to build a concrete road soon as a permanent solution. Even if tar road is constructed, it will get damaged due to soil erosion during monsoon. A study is being done to construct a concrete road to Kathirimalai.”
R Sadheesh, District Rural Development Agency project manager, said, “The road was constructed under the MGNREGA scheme. Sometimes it is damaged by rain. A suitable permanent solution will be found soon.”