'Ungalai thedi' impact: Nursing student’s petition brings Rs 3.88 crore road to tribal villages; 10 month wait ends in Tamil Nadu's Erode

ERODE: A class 12 girl student's request has been met after a wait of 10 months. Indeed. M Archana, a class 12 student and currently pursuing nursing, appealed to the Erode district collector, Rajagopal Sunkara, for a tar road to Bejalatti, a tribal hamlet located in Thalavadi taluk within the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district on August 21, 2024.

Following the necessary approvals from the forest department and the state government, the district collector conducted the 'Bhoomi puja' for the road construction on Sunday, in her presence.The collector visited the Bejalatti tribal hamlet as part of the 'Ungalai Thedi, Ungal Ooril' initiative to gather petitions from the local residents. "Archana, who was in class 12, came to me with a request for a tar road," Rajagopal Sunkara informed TOI.

He further mentioned that the student articulated the challenges the villagers faced due to the absence of the road. Highway department officials noted that the tar road had been laid 25 years ago but had deteriorated completely for various reasons.Both Archana and her sister-in-law, Kalaivani, expressed that the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) buses did not service their hamlet, Ittarai, or any other hamlets in the STR region during rainy weather.

"Due to the lack of bus services, many individuals, particularly women, have had to abandon their higher education," they stated. Archana mentioned that she is currently pursuing a B.Sc. in nursing, having expressed her desire to continue her education. In contrast, Kalaivani had to give up her aspirations after finishing class 12.The district collector secured approval and Rs. 3.88 crore in funding from the state government for the road project.

The road will span four kilometers between Bejalatti and Ittarai, connecting other tribal hamlets such as Thadasalatti and Eratti. The collector also noted that tar roads have been constructed in other hamlets in Thalavadi taluk including Konkadai - Thalakkarai at a cost of Rs. 74 lakh, Dhimbam - Mavanatham for Rs. 82 lakh, Dhimbam - Kalidhimbam for Rs. 1.08 crore, and Dhimbam-Thalavadi-Ramaranai for Rs. 51.45 crore.The villagers of Bejalatti and Ittarai hamlets expressed their gratitude to the district collector and student Archana for their efforts in bringing the tar road to their communities.