ERODE: The long wait for electricity to a tribal village in Erode district is likely to be over quite soon as the TANGEDCO has accelerated work in this regard. The tender process is almost over and the work to erect poles and draw power lines for about 8 kilometres to the Kathirimalai village is expected to start within a month.
The village in the foothill of Kathirimalai has about 100 houses belonging to the Solaga community. The residents have been yearning for electricity connection for decades but it eluded them so far. Only solar panels light up the households now.
A senior official from TANGEDCO (Gobichettipalayam SE Division) said, "We have recently completed the tender process for the project to provide electricity to Kathirimalai village. The tender is currently at the awarding stage. This will take a week. Then the work will commence in a month."
Speaking to TNIE, Anthiyur MLA AG Venkatachalam said, "This project will be executed at a cost of `3.25 crore. An electric line will be drawn from the foothills of Kathirimalai to Kathirimalai village for approximately 8 km. The work will start in a month. The work will be completed within three months of its commencement. We, including the district collector and other officials, are determined that the people of that village should get electricity as soon as possible."
"After the electricity lines are drawn, steps will be taken to provide electricity connections to all homes. We are going to hold a special camp there with the necessary officials to prepare the documents for providing electricity connections to homes. This will help obviate the need to travel about 20 km through a hill path to Bargur," the MLA added. Further, the MLA said, "The village has four streets. We will install street lights at the apt spots, including public wells and school buildings." The Kathirimalai tribal village is located at an elevation of 3,600 feet inside the reserve forest of Chennampatti forest range in Erode Forest Division. The village can be reached after trekking on foot for four hours from the foothills of Kathirimalai at Kathiripatti in the Kolathur Block of Salem district. The villagers have to reach Kathiripatti and proceed towards Kolathur to purchase essential commodities. C Sathish, founder of Tree People Charitable Trust, working for tribal villagers, said, "The houses in the village are equipped with solar panel lights only. Additionally, plug facilities have been provided for charging cell phones. Otherwise, they don't have any facilities, including TV. Their long-held dream will come true if they get direct electricity. It will help in the development of the village."