The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has started the work of constructing a tar road, at a cost of Rs 3.88 crore for a distance of about 4 km, to Ittarai tribal settlement near Thalamalai in Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) Erode district, Tamil Nadu, accepting the request of a tribal school girl.
Officials from the DRDA told The New Indian Express that the road works will be completed by December.
Ittarai tribal settlement is located within the dense forest area of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR) in Erode district. About 40 tribal families live in that village. To reach Ittarai village, everyone has to walk about 4 km on the forest road from Bejalatti village on the Thimbam-Thalamalai road. A very dilapidated forest road leads to that village.Before reaching Ittarai on that road, one km before, there is another tribal settlement called Thadasalatti. About 30 tribal families live there.
The road from Bejalatti to Ittarai, constructed by the forest department approximately 25 years ago, is currently in a state of severe dilapidation.
Due to this, the tribes of those two settlements are facing a lot of difficulties. In this situation, the government has started the work of constructing a tar road to Ittarai village after accepting a request from a female student of that village.
Sources said, Archana, a student from Ittarai village, stayed in a government hostel in Sathyamangalam and studied Class 12 at Government Girls Model Higher Secondary School of Sathyamangalam. Now she is going to join higher education.
In 2024, the District Collector Raja Gopal Sunkara visited the school of the student for inspection under Ungalai Thedi Ungal Ooril. At that time, the student presented her request to the District Collector for a tar road to her village.
Then the District Collector ordered the officials to take appropriate action on the student's request.
In this context, the construction of the tar road from Bejalatti to Ittarai began on June 5. The officials began this work in the presence of the student.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, P Meenakumari, Executive Engineer of District Rural Development Agency (DRDA), said, "The work has been started after obtaining NOC from the forest department. We plan to complete this road construction work by December."
R Chandrasekar, Assistant Engineer of DRDA of Talavadi block, said, "This road work is being carried out under Mudalvarin Grama Salaigal Membattu Thittam (MGSMT) at a cost of Rs 3.88 crore. We are constructing a completely new road there. Retaining walls are to be erected at five locations along that 4 km road. And pipe culverts are to be constructed at 16 locations and concrete platforms at 11 locations. We will complete the work quickly if the rain does not interrupt. This project will be a great solution for the people of those villages."
