The road from Thottiyodu to Thingal Nagar on the Nagercoil-Thiruvananthapuram National Highway serves as a connecting road for several villages. As buses use this route to travel to various places including Thingal Nagar, Karungal, Thuckalay, Thengapattanam, Eraniel and Colachel, it serves as a main road. Work to construct a double railway track is underway at the railway line crossing the road in the Nullivilai area. In connection with this, the existing bridge was removed and work to construct a new bridge began last January.
Due to the bridge work, buses that used this route have been diverted through an alternative route. Although vehicles have been diverted through Parasseri, the four-lane road and Peyankuzhi bridge, most buses travel via Villukuri, Thuckalay and Eraniel because the road in this area has not been properly repaired and due to traffic congestion. As a result, several villages have become cut off, and residents of these villages, students, elderly people, persons with disabilities and various other sections of the public are being severely affected.
The Railway Department had stated that the specified bridge work would be completed within eight months. However, even after eight months, even the basic works have not yet been completed. In particular, the equipment used here is very old and therefore frequently breaks down. As a result, the works are not progressing as planned and are moving at a very slow pace. The waterway bridge constructed on the southern side of the specified location is also not properly built and is elevated on both sides, making it impossible even to travel across it by bicycle.
With the bridge works progressing slowly, there is a distressing situation in which it may take another two years to complete the bridge. As a result, villagers from the surrounding areas, passengers and students have to travel several kilometres extra. They are facing loss of time, financial loss, delays, additional fuel consumption, mental stress and inconvenience. Even though people are being affected in various ways, the specified works continue to proceed at a snail’s pace. Therefore, Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI) has been urging that the specified railway bridge works be expedited to put an end to the continuing hardship faced by the people.
In this connection, under the leadership of General Secretary A.S. Shankarapandian, Kurunthancode Union Secretary D. Devadas, Thuckalay Union Farmers’ Wing Secretary A. Ganapathy, Kumari (East) District President T. Kuzhanthaisamy, Secretary R. Sarabhai, Kumari District Coordinator P. Chandra, Kumari Division Secretary M. Alex Moses, Information Technology Wing State Secretary E. Suresh and other office-bearers met the Kanyakumari District Collector and submitted a petition containing their demands.
Head Office,
Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI).
