T.N. Assembly election 2026: Tenkasi waits to be saved of its natural wealth, made more beautiful with vibrant tourism

The six-year-old district, which has immense tourism potential with Western Ghats being the fulcrum, is still waiting for the right Chief Minister, who can transform the face of this young district with vibrant tourism activities round the year and conserve nature.

The one promise that would surface during every election is the reconstruction of badly damaged ‘Shenbagavalli ’ check dam in the Western Ghats west of Vasudevanallur and located within Kerala boundary. The check dam was built in 1733 at the junction of jungle streams Puliyampatti and Chokkanpatti in the Western Ghats to divert the water going waste into the jungles to Rasingaperi and Kulasekaraperi tanks in Sivagiri Taluk for raising crop on over 12,000 acres.

After the Tamil Nadu Government repaired it between 1959 and 1962, the major breach caused by heavy downpour rendered it useless in 1967. When then Chief Minister M.G. Ramachandran sent ₹5.15 lakh to the Government of Kerala to reconstruct the damaged portions, the money was returned back in 2006 as the neighbouring State was not interested in repairing the structure.

So, the political parties would give the promise of Shenbagavalli check-dam repairing during every election and comfortably put it in the cold storage once the polling is over and take it out during the next election.

The political parties’ another decades-old promise of setting up aromatic plant with the flowers being cultivated in large area in the district. This proposal still remains only on paper. Even though this district produces a huge quantity of flowers, fruits and vegetables, there is no streamlined marketing system to send it to other parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala. The only consolation is the lemon market in Puliyangudi, which was also realised only after decades of sustained campaign by the growers.

Aromatic plant

“If the aromatic plant is established in Tenkasi district, the growers will be guaranteed of regular supply of flowers to the factory and assured support price which will certainly increase the cultivation area. Since the successive governments showed no interest in the assurance in this connection only remains on paper, the area of cultivation of flowers is steadily dwindling,” says farmer S. Mahalingam of Sankarankovil.

Rettaikulam Channel proposal, which was designed for fulfilling irrigation and drinking water needs of the eastern parts of Tenkasi district, is still waiting to see the light of the day for decades.

The irreparable damage being caused to the natural resources of Tenkasi district, particularly in the past five years after the DMK came to power in 2021, is the most deadly challenge being encountered by the district. Quarrying of stones beyond permitted levels and transporting it to Kerala in a few hundred lorries continue despite stiff resistance from the public, especially.

“No one can take even a fistful of sand and blast rock in Kerala for construction purpose even though State has also been blessed with sufficient natural resources. However, the Kerala Government is fervently protecting its resources. Hence thousands of tonnes of stones quarried in violation of law in Tenkasi district are being transported to Kerala in hundreds of heavy trucks with the connivance of official machinery. Despite sustained resistance from the conservationists and their legal battle, this illegal trade is flourishing as the stakeholders involved in this business are making unimaginably hefty money in short period by selling it in Kerala for a premium. All political parties are working hand in glove in this illicit business even as our battle continues,” says S. Jameen, secretary of ‘Tenkasi District Iyarkai Vala Pathukapu Sangam’, who is waging legal battle in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court against illicit mineral mining.

While the previous AIADMK government led by Edappadi K. Palaniswami got permission for starting 11 medical colleges in Tamil Nadu during its tenure, the present DMK Government, which had promised of establishing Tenkasi Government Medical College is yet to fulfil this promise, much to the disappointment of the public.

“Tenkasi Government Hospital receiving at least 3,000 patients a day is waiting indefinitely to graduate into a medical college hospital, which would naturally have more medical facilities for extending better medical treatment to the patients, particularly economically weaker patients. The present government has almost forgotten this promise,” Mr. Jameen says.

Even as Kerala on the other side of the Western Ghats is meticulously tapping tourism potential for job creation and augmenting rural revenue, no such initiative has been taken in Tenkasi district blessed with nature’s beauty.

“Even Courtallam, attracting lakhs of tourists for 75 days a year from June, lacks basic tourist-friendly infrastructure. It is so unfortunate that successive Tamil Nadu Governments have such a conviction to transform this place into a major tourist destination. And, one more election is coming-up which will only refresh these promises and suffer natural death after the electorate cast their votes,” says S. Mahadevan, a businessman from Tenkasi.