DHARMAPURI: Residents of Bommidi have urged the Dharmapuri administration to construct a 37-km road connecting Bommidi and Yercaud to improve road connectivity and bring development to rural habitations in the region. According to residents, the road is over a century old and connects more than a dozen villages inhabited by over 10,000 people.
T Jebasingh, a member of the Bommidi Public and Railway Passengers Welfare Association, said, "In this 37-km stretch, there are over a dozen villages in Dharmapuri and Salem, including Poomathur, Veeratchiyur, Semmanatham, and Chettipatti. Most people come to Bommidi for healthcare, education, banking, and other needs due to its proximity. For over two decades, there has been no public transport or efforts to build roads, leaving the villages isolated."
B Sagadevan from Poomarathur emphasised the need for the road and said, "People in these villages can only travel on two-wheelers, which makes it almost impossible for cars or ambulances to pass through. This route from Bommidi to Yercaud passes through a forest area, and the administration must take steps to improve connectivity. It could also boost tourism in the region by making Bommidi a key transit point."
He also added that the road would save people from Krishnagiri, Bengaluru, Tiruvannamalai, and Tirupattur from having to take a detour through Salem.
B Periyasamy from Bommidi said, "During MGR's time, there was a road between Yercaud and Bommidi, and there was even a mini-bus service. But it has since been abandoned, and the roads are now almost non-existent. We urge the administration to take steps to construct the roads."
Officials in the DRDA in Dharmapuri said, "So far, there have been no initiatives for such a project," but assured that they would look into the matter.