Residents of a few villages along Madurai-Bodinaickanur railway line near Nagamalai Pudukottai petitioned Collector S. Natarajan seeking an alternative pathway to a cremation ground which has been blocked after the broad gauge conversion project was taken up.
The petitioners from Karadipatti, Kanapudur, Keezhapudur, Malapoorani, and those living near the hillocks - Perumalmalai and Samanarmalai, who were present at the grievance day meeting in the Collectorate on Monday, said their only approach road to the cremation ground at Karadipatti remained blocked by the railway line. The cremation ground is located off Rajampadi on the Madurai-Theni highway between Nagamalai Pudukottai and Madurai Kamaraj University.
The Madurai-Usilampatti section of the broad gauge project is nearing completion. “Once the line is thrown open to traffic, our villages will be permanently cut off from the cremation ground which has sentimental value for us, as generations of our forebears were cremated here,” said A. Ammasi, a resident of Kanapudur.
The villagers had halted the track laying work on Saturday by staging a protest on the spot where the pathway was blocked.“As soon as we learnt that the Southern Railway was about to start work on the broad gauge conversion project, we raised objection that it will block our cremation ground. But the authorities were insensitive to our appeals,” said B. Manikandan, a resident of Rajampadi.
The villagers said they have also petitioned the Southern Railway and are hoping for an amicable solution from the authorities.
The Madurai-Bodi BG conversion project was taken up after many years of stoppage of train services and removal of the metre gauge tracks.