TIRUPPUR: The ride to Yelagiri Hills, a renowned tourist destination in Tamil Nadu, is slowly turning into a nightmare for tourists and locals with the poor condition of interior roads. Though the stretches in the main areas of the hillock are well maintained, the tourists unaware of the trauma ahead on the path, often get into accidents and punctures on the shoddy interior roads.
Yelagiri Hills situated in Tirupattur district attracts hundreds of visitors daily, who come to explore the boathouse, mountain view adventure park, entertainment park, and more. While being a prominent tourist spot in the state, the region is also home to around 8,500 residents of 14 hamlets. However, the interior areas of the hill are plagued by poor roads, presenting significant challenges for residents, tourists, and school students.
In addition to the deteriorated condition, the 10 km ring road connecting Athanavur to Nilavuoor via Pallakkaniyur village, which links around seven out of 14 village hamlets in the Yelagiri hills, lacks street lights, resulting in accidents during night hours. Furthermore, the absence of stormwater drains, and signboards, and inadequate maintenance of public toilets are additional concerns in the area.
These issues raise an alarm among the residents, especially about the safety of the school students. The Ebenezer Matriculation Higher Secondary School in Kottur village serves 400 students from 14 hamlets. Despite having three buses and two jeeps, the school is unable to have hustle-free transportation, due to the poor condition of the roads.
Although bitumen was laid in a portion of the stretch before COVID-19, it deteriorated within two months. “The government must take necessary steps to lay the road and should ensure its quality and maintenance,” principal E. Rahilent Ebens said.
Krishna Kumar of Kottur village pointed out that the travel from his village to Athanavur has become difficult. “The badly maintained route leads to accidents and it has become an excuse for autorickshaw drivers to demand high fares up to Rs 200 for a one-way journey and up to `400 for a round trip. So, those people without their own vehicle are forced to walk the 3km stretch,” he said.
\“The situation becomes critical when we have to transport pregnant women to the Primary Health Center (PHC). The alternative route via Pallakkaniyur road is also in a similarly dilapidated condition,” he added.
Shail, a tourist from Chennai said, “Improved road infrastructure, including street lights and signboards, would enhance the tourist experience. While the attractions are commendable, addressing these issues requires prompt government intervention.”
According to the official reply to the numerous petitions filed by Lourduraj, a resident of Athanavur village, to the CM cell, the Panchayat has already passed a resolution to transfer the road to the state highways department.
Panchayat President Rajeshwari Girivelan explained that the decision to transfer the road to the highways department stems from inadequate funds for maintaining the lengthy stretch.
\“The road-laying process now relies entirely on the highways department and district administration,” she said, adding that it is impossible to construct a stormwater drain in the hilly area. She, however, assured to address the issue of street lights and public toilets.
E Murali, the Divisional Engineer of Highways in Tirupattur district, said, “If any Panchayat BDO is unable to handle the maintenance of a stretch, 5 to 10km of such roads will be transferred to the highways department annually. Similarly, a resolution would have been passed by the Yelagiri panchayat. Approval from Chennai is necessary for this transition, which will be given after scrutinizing the land. The government will carry out the work on a priority basis.”
Despite multiple attempts, District Collector D Baskara Pandian was unavailable for comment.