Road Connectivity Crisis in Dharmapuri District Highlights Infrastructure Risks

Residents of Alakattu hill village in Dharmapuri district are currently without proper road facilities. The village, which consists of 40 families and 151 people, relies on dangerous footpaths through forests and hills for access. During a recent medical emergency, villagers carried a woman with severe abdominal pain nearly eight kilometers on footpaths to reach a point where a vehicle could transport her to the hospital. Heavy rains have exacerbated the situation, leading to flash floods and soil erosion along the hill tracks.

The lack of infrastructure has been a decades-long issue, according to residents. The absence of roads poses constant risks to the lives of the inhabitants, particularly during medical emergencies. This situation impacts the operational viability of the region, which includes transactional links such as the supply of tomatoes to Erode.