Residents of Indira Nagar in Ketti Palada want the local panchayat to come up with a permanent solution towards preventing damage to Kollimalai Road, which has become unmotorable after the recent rain in the Nilgiris.
Residents said they had to wade through the layer of mud that covered the road for a 400-m stretch.
K. Jehan, a resident, said the road became unusable, as top soil from the surrounding agricultural fields got washed in rain towards the road and settled on top of it. “Farmers use tractors and small earth movers to till the soil, which loosens it and makes it susceptible to flowing down the cliff. The administration should tell the farmers to cultivate on terrace farms to prevent soil from getting washed down the slopes,” he added.
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The residents said that because of the damage, emergency service vehicles were unable to quickly reach the villages surrounding Kollimalai. “School children too have to walk to Ketti Palada to get to school vans and buses,” said N. Lakshmi, a resident. “At night, the road becomes precarious as motorists, who are unaware of the damage, can get involved in accidents as there is little lighting or warning board to caution them,” said another resident.