The absence of a bridge across the Moyar river makes a crossing difficult when its waters rise, as they have now. But this did not deter Rasathi, 24, an intrepid bride from Thengumarahada in the Nilgiris district. She crossed the river with 10 members of her family in two coracles.
Ms. Rasathi's wedding with Ranjith Kumar of Sirumugai in Coimbatore district is scheduled for August 20, and her family reached their relatives’ house on Friday.
One side of the river falls under the Mudumalai Tiger Reserve (MTR), and the other, the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR). Officials from both sides kept a close watch as the bridal party made its journey.
To reach the venue, situated in a village along the river in the Kotagiri taluk on the northern slopes of the Nilgiris, the wedding group would have otherwise had to travel 25 km by a mud road that passes through the STR from Bhavani Sagar.
Two Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses from Coimbatore and Kotagiri are operated till the river, after which people take jeeps and coracles to reach their hamlets on either side. During floods, though, the service is suspended.
Recently, a jeep was caught in the floodwaters, and its passengers had to be rescued after a three-hour struggle.
After this incident, forest officials restricted the entry of vehicles through the STR, and the bus service was being operated till the settlement of Nandipuram, 2 km away.
The absence of a bridge, locals feel, has impacted their life adversely. They have urged the State government to build one.
