Officials brave rugged terrain to ensure polling in remote hamlets in Erode district

Braving rugged terrain and poor road connectivity, election officials have put in place elaborate arrangements to reach three remote hamlets in Erode district and ensure that every voter exercises their franchise in the Assembly election on April 23.

Kuttaiyur on the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka border and Kathirimalai, both under Bargur Panchayat Union in the Anthiyur Assembly constituency, and Malliamman Durgham in the Kadambur hills under the Bhavanisagar Assembly constituency are among the polling stations in the district identified as difficult ones. Officials said the efforts reflect a commitment to ensure that no voter is left behind.

Reaching Kuttaiyur (with 173 electors) is a journey that winds across forested stretches, State borders, and river crossings. Officials travel 83 km from Anthiyur, including 54 km within Tamil Nadu and 29 km through Karnataka, before crossing the Palar river and entering the village. Though Makkampalayam, just 5 km away, is the nearest habitation, the absence of a motorable road through the reserve forest turns the short distance into a strenuous trek, said a resident. The boulder-filled path is used only by two-wheelers, making it unsafe for transporting election materials. As a result, a mini-lorry is deployed through Karnataka to ferry equipment. A proposed road from Sengulam in Kongadai West Bargur Hills, which could reduce the distance by over 40 km, has not materialised, a resident said.

The road leading to Malliamman Durgham in Bhavanisagar Assembly constituency in Erode district
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Special Arrangement

Similarly, Malliamman Durgham, with 404 electors, is located within the dense forests of the Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve, where accessing the polling station requires traversing a nine-km rugged stretch with steep gradients. Vehicular movement is extremely difficult along the rocky incline. “Both ascent and descent are risky on this stretch,” said an official who was part of the polling team during the 2024 Lok Sabha election, noting that similar challenges were faced in previous elections. The hamlet is left in darkness after dusk, and residents depend on kerosene lamps as most solar lighting systems have become defunct.

Another challenge lies in reaching Kathirimalai (with 173 voters), located at the foothills in Kolathur block of Salem district. Officials traverse an 8.1-km rain-battered mud track to access the polling station, that is located 52 km away from Anthiyur. A tractor with a trailer is used to transport election materials. Earlier, donkeys were used to ferry equipment to the booth situated at an elevation of 1,200 metres in the Chennampatti Forest Range, said a resident. The hamlet, which has 76 families, received grid electricity only in February 2026. Residents said they were keen to participate in the polling despite the difficulties.

Forest Department officials will coordinate with the election machinery during movement through forest areas, and necessary security arrangements have been made, officials said.

District Election Officer and Collector S. Kandasamy told The Hindu that arrangements were in place at all three polling stations to ensure voter participation. In Malliamman Durgham, generators and solar power would be used to operate web cameras due to the absence of electricity, he said, adding that four-wheelers would be deployed to transport materials. Permission has also been obtained to engage local staff for poll duty in these locations.

The arrangements, officials said, stand as a reminder that the democratic process reaches even the most remote corners, however difficult the journey.