
COIMBATORE: A library building in Sultanipuram village, near Vadavalli, has fallen into disrepair after lying unused for more than a decade since its construction.
Currently, a portion of the building is being used as a waste storage for a nearby temple, and the rest of the facility remains empty. Villagers have urged the authorities to renovate the building and bring the library into use.
R Santhakumar, coordinator of the Aaniver organization, an NGO, stated that Sultanipuram village, which falls under the Somayampalayam village panchayat, lacks adequate space for students to gain knowledge. He said that if the library were operational, it would benefit the community.
“The library building was constructed more than a decade ago, but it was not properly inaugurated and remained locked. As a result, many people are unaware of its intended purpose. Over the years, the building began to weaken, and people started occupying it for their own uses. Now it is being used as a storage room for waste materials. There is no library within a three-kilometer radius of the village,” Santhakumar said. “Many students in the area are preparing for competitive examinations and are in need of a library. If this library were operational, they could use it to continue their preparations. Once it becomes operational, it would encourage students to read books instead of getting distracted by digital gadgets,” said S Rasu, a resident of the village.
District Library Officer Rajendran said the library falls under the control of the local body, as it was constructed through the Anaithu Grama Anna Marumalarchi Thittam Scheme. He said that many libraries in the district built under this scheme are in similar condition.
Despite multiple attempts, no official from the Somayampalayam village panchayat or Periyanaickenpalayam Block responded to TNIE’s calls for a comment.