After decades, tribals atop Peechamanthai hillock in Vellore get bitumen road

After many decades, tribal hamlets atop Peechamanthai hillock in Vellore got their first bitumen road as a new black-topped 5.75 km stretch between Nekkani and Kollaiyam tribal hamlets was opened to the public on Thursday.

Officials of the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), which executed the work, said that before the new stretch, tribals were using a mud pathway, formed by the British rulers in the 1900s to monitor the thick forest areas.

“The new bitumen stretch is a lifeline for tribals in the hillock to reach public facilities like hospitals during emergencies. We request Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi to take steps to operate mini-buses and ambulance services in the hillock,” said C. Sevvanthi, a resident.

DRDA officials said that locals of Nekkani and Kollaiyam hamlets donated 2.47 acres of their patta land for the new road. The two hamlets, with around 400 residents, form a part of Palambattu village panchayat in the hillock. Corn, groundnut, banana, sugarcane and millets are being cultivated.

Every day, on an average, two bus services are operated up to Peechamanthai village, around 18 km from the foothills, which has a bitumen stretch. From Peechamanthai village, residents have to walk five km on a rocky pathway atop the hill to reach these two hamlets.

Before the opening of the new road, tribals took a detour of 30 km through Amirthi Main Road in Anaicut to reach Vellore town to buy essentials and access facilities like Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), government high school, fair price shop, banks, ATMs and government offices. 

DRDA officials said after getting a nod from the Forest Department, a 20-ft-wide bitumen road was laid at a cost of ₹5 crore under Tamil Nadu Rural Roads Improvement Scheme (TNRRIS).

As major portion of the pathway is located across the Naganathi River, 17 cross drainage works including three culverts were built to prevent damage of the stretch due to inundation during monsoon.