In a statement issued by A.S. Shankarapandian, General Secretary of Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI), he stated as follows:
Gopanari is a hill village located near Tholampalayam in the Karamadai block of Coimbatore district. Around 100 families belonging to the Irular tribal community live here. More than 2,000 families live in surrounding areas including Patti Salai, Singuli, Alang Kandi, Senguttai and Moonukuttai.
People also travel here from places in Kerala such as Attappadi, Mannarkkad and Mattathukad. As this is a border area between two states, connectivity on both sides is very important for livelihoods. At present, people have to pass through the deep Kodungarai Pallam ravine to travel between Gopanari in Tamil Nadu and Mattathukad in Kerala. No bridge has so far been constructed across this ravine connecting the specified road.
As a result, people from the surrounding areas and vehicles travelling along this route are forced to enter the water and cross dangerously. As floodwater flows through this watercourse for much of the year and it is impossible to predict when flash flooding may occur, several people who attempted to cross the area have been swept away and tragically lost their lives.
During rain and floods, the water overflows and the road is completely cut off, turning these areas into isolated islands. This completely disrupts the livelihood of people who travel for daily-wage work. Although the hospital is only 4 km away, people have to travel around 15 km to reach it. Students, farmers, vegetables, bananas and food products transported for sale to Kerala, transport passengers and various other sections continue to be severely affected.
These hill villages in the forest region of the Western Ghats have the distinction of having served as a trade gateway through the Palakkad Gap during the Chera period from the 1st century BCE to the 4th century CE. Today, travel along this route remains unsafe, while the bridge has remained merely an election-time promise. The bridge is not only a need of the people of this area but a basic right connected to livelihood, education, healthcare and emergency assistance. When will the Tamil Nadu Government end the suffering of these villagers?
Head Office,
Samuga Pothunala Iyakkam (TNSPI).
