Tenkasi, with immense tourism, farming resources, in a shambles as no special initiative to tap this potential

Tenkasi Assembly segment, having immense potential for tourism with Courtallam and the scenic Western Ghats and farming with sufficient water resources, is waiting indefinitely for a right representative who can get sufficient assistance from the government for taking this region to the next level.

Tenkasi Assembly segment has elected MLAs affiliated to the Congress, DMK, AIADMK and even an independent in 1957. It elected in 2011, actor R. Sarathkumar, founder of Samaththuva Makkal Katchi, which was merged with the BJP recently. Congress candidate S. Palani Nadar, who lost the 2016 election polls to AIADMK’s S. Selvamohandas Pandian, avenged for his defeat in 2021 with the insignificant margin of 370 votes. Even as everyone was expecting the renewal of this rivalry in the 2026 election too, the DMK has decided to field its senior party office-bearer ‘Anbagam’ Kalai’s son, Kalai Kathiravan, in Tenkasi to take on AIADMK’s Mr. Selvamohandas Pandian.

Like the district’s predominant profession of farming, Tenkasi Assembly segment’s economy is based on agriculture and Courtallam-based tourism activities. Unfortunately, both the livelihood activities are yet to thrive in a big way, thanks to the pathetic performance of the MLAs who represented this constituency in the past.

The farming activities revolve around paddy, plantain and coconut cultivation. Since the farms are very close to the Western Ghats, invasion of wild animals into the ranches to cause extensive damage to the standing crops and occasional man – animal conflict too to trigger panic.

“The government should erect solar fence along the boundary of reserve forest and farms to save the farmers, who suffer huge loss every year,” says farmer Balasubramanian of Kasimajorpuram near Courtallam.

The farmers also want the government to desilt the dams periodically, particularly during the dry seasons, so as to store maximum quantity of water in the reservoirs. “The government’s failure to desilt the dams has resulted in wasting of precious water during the southwest and northeast monsoons. So, government should concentrate on this issue at regular intervals,” Mr. Balasubramanian says.

The SIDCO Industrial Estate created in Tenkasi segment for housing a range of manufacturing units including clothing, handicraft, plastic products, packaging etc. is in shambles. Unfortunately, no step has been taken to revive this eroding industrial estate.

While the girl students, after their Plus Two, can join the courses being offered by Sri Parasakthi College for Women, Courtallam, the boys have to depend on the private arts and science colleges.

Medical facilities

“While the previous AIADMK government managed to get 11 medical colleges in one year, the present DMK government failed miserably to get at least one medical college for Tamil Nadu. And, Tenkasi is one among the six districts waiting for their medical college, which shows the inability of the Department of Public Health,” says a doctor working with the Tenkasi Government Hospital, which is also waiting for hitech medical facilities and is sending its patients to Tirunelveli Medical College Hospital for advanced medical assistance.

Even though Courtallam would be inundated with the tourists from various parts of the country during the ‘annual season’ between June and August every year as all waterfalls in this tourist destination would be swelling thanks to the active southwest monsoon along the Western Ghats, there is no basic infrastructure in this small town. Courtallam is waiting for decades for better tourist-friendly infrastructure like encroachment-free motorable roads, drinking water, affordable stay, eateries serving quality and hygienic food etc.

Even though the main roads of Courtallam are in good shape, the interior roads are in the worst condition and the encroachments made along these already narrow roads make motoring dangerous.

“We’ve to blame the Courtallam town panchayat administration for this deplorable condition of Courtallam. While funds allocated for Courtallam is not sufficient, corruption at all levels of Courtallam town panchayat administration

The recent removal of the century-old concrete arch at Main Falls has also deeply hurt the public, especially the Courtallam residents.

“We agree that huge number of people cannot take bath simultaneously in the Main Falls due to the concrete arch. But, it was the protective structure that saved the bathers from being washed away during heavy flow. And, it was not in a dilapidated condition as being claimed by the officials. The uncompromised quality of this structure withstood millions of tonnes of water all these years. Let’s see the quality of the structure going to be created at this spot by the modern day rulers as we’re witness to these modern day rulers’ dressing rooms near Main Falls and the Old Courtallam waterfalls washed away in the floods,” says S. Senthur Pandian, a trader from Courtallam.

While the Pavoorchatram vegetable market being operated by the private players does wonders by supplying the fruits and vegetables in more than one hundred lorries to various parts of Tamil Nadu and neighbouring Kerala. The State Government refuses to start such a venture by creating a farmers’ society to sell the farm produces cultivated in this region known as ‘Vegetable Basket of Southern Tamil Nadu’.

“More importantly, the government is yet to concentrate on value-addition of the farm produce using fruits, vegetables and flowers, all being grown in larger areas of Tenkasi district,” says vegetable trader M. Kutralingam of Paavoorchathram.

Published – April 05, 2026 10:09 pm IST