Lack of highway connectivity forces Kuttaiyur villagers rely upon Karnataka

The residents of Kuttaiyur, a distant hamlet on the Tamil Nadu,Karnataka border, proceed to rely upon Karnataka for his or her each day wants because of the absence of highway connectivity and a bridge throughout a forest stream.

Villagers say the difficulty may be resolved provided that a bridge is constructed and bus companies are prolonged from the closest habitation to their village.

Kuttaiyur, with about 450 residents, comes below the Bargur panchayat in Anthiyur taluk, whereas Makkampalayam falls below the Koothampalayam panchayat in Sathyamangalam taluk. Bus companies from Kadambur function solely as much as Makkampalayam, positioned 5 km away. Villagers and college students depend on a pickup van from Karnataka to achieve Makkampalayam.

The forest highway is slender and gravel-strewn, crossing a stream that usually carries water. Throughout the rains, the automobile from Karnataka avoids Kuttaiyur and proceeds on to Makkampalayam. College students then miss college and staff keep house.

“This occurs yearly from October to January,” stated a Class 9 pupil. “All we want is a highway, a bridge throughout the stream, and a bus service to our village,” the scholar added.

As commuting to Makkampalayam is troublesome, villagers cross the Palar river to achieve Jallipalayam in Karnataka, about 2 km away, to purchase necessities and entry medical care.

“We rely on Karnataka for the whole lot besides education,” stated a resident. Throughout the monsoon, when the river overflows, the village stays fully reduce off. “We have trusted Karnataka for years. It should change, no less than for our kids,” one other villager stated.

Throughout elections, officers from Anthiyur journey 83 km to achieve the Authorities Tribal Residential Center College, which serves because the polling sales space. Ballot supplies are transported by way of Karnataka — 54 km by way of Bargur Hills to Kargekandi in Chamarajanagar district, then 24 km to Jallipalayam earlier than crossing the border into Tamil Nadu to achieve Kuttaiyur.

College students research as much as Class 8 within the village, journey to Makkampalayam for Lessons 9 and 10, and to Kadambur for greater secondary schooling. Villagers are charged ₹20 per journey, whereas college students pay ₹10 to achieve Makkampalayam. They stated they typically miss courses and examinations through the wet season as a result of a scarcity of transport, and urged the federal government to offer highway connectivity.

Anthiyur MLA AG Venkatachalam informed The Hindu that proposals for setting up a bridge throughout the forest stream and for laying a highway, each at a price of ₹6.5 crore, have been submitted to the federal government. “A proposal for a bridge close to Velampatti at a price of ₹ 7 crore can be into account. As soon as accomplished, connectivity points in border villages will likely be resolved,” he stated.