Starting with the model hamlet of Kathirimalai, Tamil Nadu’s Erode district administration managed a breakthrough in successfully constructing a single-layer water-bound macadam (WBM) road in remote hilly areas. But this hamlet was just the starting point, as the administration is now connecting many other such hamlets situated in hilly areas of Erode where mostly tribal people live. This work is majorly being done to fulfill the decades-old demand of the people for better road connectivity and to connect them to the mainstream.
To address the long-term need for road connectivity in the hill areas of Erode, the district administration took the special initiative to identify villages with a special focus on unconnected habitations. Based on this, 32 areas were identified, out of which 16 are unconnected habitations with predominantly tribal population.
CONNECTING 20 VILLAGES
After identification, the administration in convergence with the rural development and forest department visited those areas. The people living there were dying for road connectivity as it was barring them from various things. Living in hilly areas, it becomes very tough for them to commute and, hence, they were living in isolation.
After visiting the areas, road infrastructure works to the tune of Rs.7.63 crore for an extent of 32.69 km, connecting 20 villages, was sanctioned through the rural development department. The work includes connecting several tribal settlements like Ramaranai, Mavanatham, Kalithimbam, and Geddessal, which have been longing for repairing of severely damaged roads for more than 10 years, as well as areas like Kongadai and Basuvanapuram ST settlement areas which have never been connected by a road till date.
TALAVADI HILLS
The 20 villages which are being connected under this project include the four tribal settlements of Talvadi hills, Ramaranai, Mavanatham, Kalithimbam, and Geddessal. These hamlets are located inside the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) off the Dhimbam-Talavadi road in Talamalai Panchayat. Around 316 families living in these hamlets were in need of proper roads which suffered extensive damage due to rains in the past 10 years.
Now, as the administration has identified the places, the work has started and will be completed soon. District Collector of Erode, Mr. Krishnanunni said, “This will help the people of these hamlets to commute easily. These works are expected to provide mainstream connectivity to more than 7000 people residing in the backward hill areas, out of which more than 3000 persons belong to tribal communities. The initiative will have a tremendous impact on improving the socio-economic conditions of these backward areas.”
