The more than 20 km. long stretch of road, between Fern Hill and Avalanche, an important road used by tourists, as well as thousands of farmers and agriculturalists living in the M Palada and Emerald Dam areas, has sustained severe rain damage as a result of the rain recently.
The road, classed as a Major District Road, which leads to one of the most visited tourist locations in the Nilgiris – Avalanche, and also serves as a secondary route to Manjoor Town which can be used when the most preferred route via Lovedale has a heavy flow of traffic, especially heavy load-bearing vehicles like lorries and pick-up trucks, which even before the rain had hit, had been damaged from minor landslips and heavy vehicular traffic in the weeks and months preceding the rains.
S. Daniel Robinson, a resident of Ithalar, said that the roads had not been relaid properly along the stretch after they were dug up for the installation of pipes meant for the new water scheme for the Nilgiris.
“Added to the fact that most of the vehicles plying this route are pick-up trucks and lorries carrying huge loads of vegetables and produce, the roads become damaged very quickly once they are relaid or repaired,” he said.
D. Shanthakumar, another resident, said that run-off from the agricultural fields settle on top of the roads after intensive rain, causing the roads to become extremely slippery. “Added to the fact that most stretches of the road have no streetlights, and that gaur are commonplace here, motorists, especially people on motorcycles are at risk of meeting with accidents, either by losing control of their vehicles or with oncoming traffic,” he said.
Local residents said that street lights along the most dangerous stretches of the road are the most urgent requirement, as the roads are most dangerous after dark.
