Gandhipet - Kollimalai road unsafe for students, residents

Residents of Kollimallai, and students of a photography school in the Nilgiris have appealed to the district administration and the local panchayat to repair a highly damaged section of road leading from Gandhipet near Lovedale, to the Kota tribal village of Kollimallai.

Speaking to The Hindu, locals said that the less than one km. stretch of road, had been in the same state of disrepair for over two years, with many people, including students, suffering injuries after falling from their motorcycles and scooters while traversing the stretch.

Anuradha Iqbal, Director of Light and Life Academy, said that just a few months ago, a student split her knee after falling from her scooter. “Many of our students have suffered falls, while local residents too are affected,” said Ms. Anuradha.

“Locals too are affected,” says Krish Dharmapalan, an area resident, who said that the stretch becomes almost impassible after dusk, and during the monsoon. “The condition of the road has steadily deteriorated over the last few months, with heavy vehicles like lorries, which had previously been using a different route to get to Ketti Palada, using the already damaged road,” said Krish.

Residents said that apart from the dangers posed by the road, the presence of gaur in the area also accentuates the danger, with people afraid of not being able to flee in case an animal chooses to charge at them.

Shawn Jacob Stephen, a student at the Light and Life Academy, said that the road was extremely narrow, and when heavy vehicles descend along the stretch, it becomes extremely dangerous for users of scooters and motorcycles to traverse the stretch safely.

Officials from the Adhigaratty and Ketti panchayats said that the road is maintained by both municipalities, with the stretch from Gandhipet to the Light and Life Academy falling under the control of the Adhigaratty panchayat, while the remaining section is maintained by the Ketti panchayat.

They said that funds had been sanctioned for the resurfacing of the road, and that work would begin in the coming months.