Tribal hamlets atop Jarthankollai hillock in Vellore get first bitumen road

Remote tribal hamlets atop Jarthankollai hillock, which form part of Jawadhu Hills on the outskirts of Vellore town, were provided with bitumen roads to reach the foothills, as the District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) opened the stretch for public use on Wednesday.

DRDA officials said that the new bitumen stretch has been laid between Thellai and Jarthankollai villages, a distance of eight kilometres, on the hills at a cost of ₹14.99 crore. The new stretch will connect at least 36 tribal hamlets including Palamathi, Alleri, Konnur, Periyayetipattu, Nayakenmedu, and Mutonoor.

These villages form part of Jarthankollai and Peenjamanthai village panchayats, comprising 48 hamlets that come under Anaicut panchayat union in the district. “The eight km stretch has at least 10 hairpin bends. Six culverts were built on the route to prevent inundation and obstruction of traffic flow during monsoon,” Mohammed Wasim, Assistant Engineer (AE), DRDA, told The Hindu. 

Funded under the Tamil Nadu Rural Roads Improvement Scheme (TNRRIS) 2022-23, the new stretch is five metres wide – enough for two-wheelers, auto rickshaws, and tractors to use it. “The new road will help reach Vellore Government Medical College Hospital, around 20 km in the foothills in 30 minutes as against two hours on the mud pathway earlier. Better safety measures on the route should be created,” said B. Arumugam, a resident.

The new Jarthankollai Main Road navigates the Amirthi RF and connects with the forest road to reach Odugathur and Kaniyambadi in the plains. It will also facilitate operation of first bus services by TNSTC to hamlets in the hillock in the coming weeks.

DRDA officials said that , the hills had a pathway since the 1920s to monitor the thick forest areas in the hills by the British. The pathway had been used by the tribals, since then, with no repair or formation of pucca road. Around 3,500 residents are inhabitants of these hamlets. Corn, groundnuts, bananas, sugarcanes, and millets are cultivated. 

Prior to the new stretch, residents took a detour 20 kms through Amirthi forests to reach Vellore town for essentials including facilities like Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), government high school, fair price shop, banks, ATMs, and government offices. 

After tribals appealed to Collector V.R. Subbulaxmi, who inspected the hills, approximately one hectare of forest land was allotted by the District Forest Officer (DFO) to lay the new stretch in the hills.