DHARMAPURI: The tribal hamlet of Vathalmalai located 26 kilometres from Dharmapuri town has grown as a tourist destination in the last few years. However, tourists find the ride to the hilltop village risky as the roads are narrow. Local residents want the Dharmapuri district administration to widen the roads so that tourism grows and all have a safe journey.
En route the scenic route to Vathalmalai are 23 hairpin bends. But motorits find it more challenging to negotiate a 19.80 km stretch leading to the village.
The roads were first laid here in 2012 by the forest department for the welfare of the tribal residents. Under the Pradhan Mantri Gram Sadak Yojana the roads were upgraded in 2018 and a year later bus services were introduced.
Since then the influx of tourists to the area has increased. However, the narrow roads still pose a challenge to tourists.
R Kaliappan of Periyur in Vathalmalai said, "Much of the development in our hamlet has occurred in the past 15 years. Tourism has picked up with hundreds of tourists visiting every month. The number of resorts, guest houses and other accommodations are increasing. To further enhance the travel experience we need better roads. During the monsoons the chances of mudslides disrupting traffic is high. Wider roads with better protection are essential for tourist safety."
S Nethaji from Dharmapuri said, "Vathalmalai is often visited by tourists, with the administration keen on developing adventure tourism, trekking and other activities there. The narrow roads need to be widened considering the large number of tourist arrivals. Expanding the roads would be beneficial for the tourists and local residents".
When TNIE reached out to officials in the administration they said, "Expansion would take time as parts of the road lie within the forest. Further, we have not received any request, but we will look into the situation there".