The proposal for a road between Kurangani and Top Station has been in the pipeline for quite sometime now.
After repeated demands from villagers and tribes, a team of officials from the Forest and State Highways Departments visited the site two years ago. Deputy Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam, Minister for Forest Dindigul C. Srinivasan and Principal Chief Conservator of Forests also visited the place after which the forest department gave nod for a survey.
It brought hope among the public that a link road would take shape but the project has not moved further. “The next step is to undertake a survey and prepare a detailed project report. But even after writing to the government repeatedly seeking funds, there has been no response,” said an official from the highways department.
Right now, people take a circuitous route of about 75 km from Bodi via Munnar to reach Top Station. Though Top Station village is situated in Tamil Nadu, the route to it is through Kerala. If a road comes up then it will be the shortest route between Bodi and Munnar. “It will benefit many living on the hills in hamlets like Muduvarkudi and Central Station. The road would be a boon for trade as spices like cardamom and cloves grown on the hills can be transported easily. The tribal, who struggle to go to Bodi or Theni even for emergency needs can have vehicular access to these towns,” said A. Kannan, who has a cardamom plantation near Top Station.
“We hope the link road project will be raised by the highways department during the demands for grants in the Assembly in the coming week. Recently, the Theni MP O.P. Raveendranath Kumar had sought the speeding up of Bodi-Madurai railway line. If this link road is developed alongside, it will be an easy connect for farmers to transport spices and other condiments from Top Station to markets in Bodi, Madurai and beyond,” added an official.
“The existing right of way trail between Kurangani and Top Station via Central Station is 11.4 km. In case of a road, the distance may increase as alignment will change. As per norms, the highway department should carry out a survey in the presence of forest officials. But the feasibility of the road can be finalised only after further study, as the area is rich in biodiversity, flanked by the Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary on the one side and the Pampadum Shola National Park on the other side. In addition, Top Station has a number of streams that combine to form the Kottakudi river, the main drinking water source for Bodi,” said Gautham, District Forest Officer, Theni.