It is a long struggle for the people of Makkampalayam village in Kadambur hills who were seeking two-over bridges across the river in the 22-km mud road stretch that passes through reserve forest area in the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR).
Over 2,500 people live in five hamlets apart from over 600 people in the village. Two low-level bridges, Sakarai Pallam and Kuthiyalathur Pallam, gets submerged during flash floods and people in these villages cannot move to the other side to reach Kadambur.
Only an elementary school is present in the village as students have to travel to Kadambur to study at the Government Higher Secondary School. Four bus services operated to Makkampalayam everyday were stopped during floods as students and workers cannot reach their destination. In September last year, due to floods, these hamlets were cut off for over 15 days as students were unable to go to their school in Kadambur.
Demanding bridges, villagers blocked the Kadambur road twice and officials promised to start the work.
It is over a month that works were yet to begin, said S. Kaliappan of the village. Though officials said that tar-topped roads cannot be laid in forest areas, villagers said that without proper roads life of many generations have crippled.
An ambulance could take two hours to reach our village for transporting patients. Pregnant women refuse to board ambulance as they fear of miscarriage, he added.
Over 50 students from these hamlets travel to Kadambur everyday and reach the village by 7.30 p.m. The last trip starts at 4.45 p.m. from Kadambur bus stand. But we want it to start at 4 p.m. so that children reach their home by 7 p.m., said R. Saravanan Kumar, a mason. Many people said that due to poor roads, travelling is a hilarious task and is the only major concern for them.
If roads are available, we could access the schools, hospitals and markets easily, they added.
