Tribal residents of Bodhamalai in Namakkal get mud road for 9.9 km at ₹34.12 crore after Independence

The tribal residents of Bodhamalai got a mud road for 9.9 km between Pudhupatti and Kedamalai, at a cost of ₹34.12 crore, after nearly 75 years of India’s Independence.

Bodhamalai, located 1,100 meters above mean sea level, has three hamlets covering 36.4 sq. km. Keezhur has a population of 792, of which 395 are females. The population of Melur is 448 and that of Kedamalai is 487. Due to lack of well-developed roads, people were using temporary roads and walked 11 km to reach the foothills even during emergencies. The nearest government hospital at Rasipuram is located 15 km away.

As the path to the hill was under the control of the Forest Department, they struggled to get permission for a road.

In 2024, the Namakkal district administration got consent from the Union Environment Ministry and the State Forest Department to lay roads. It was decided to lay roads for 31.07 km, including between Vadugam and Melur through Keezhur for 21.17 km at ₹105.53 crore and from Pudhupatti to Kedamalai for 9.9 km at ₹34.12 crore. The total project cost was ₹139.65 crore, including NABARD fund of ₹111.72 crore and the State government fund of ₹27.93 crore. In February 2024, Chief Minister M.K. Stalin laid the foundation for the road works.

After two years, the mud road laying works between Pudhupatti and Kedamalai were completed and opened to the public. Now people use vehicles on this stretch to reach the foothills.

The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) officials said that it would take a few months to lay bitumen-topped roads. A proposal for this was submitted to the government. Works to develop a mud road for 21.17 km were almost completed between Vadugam and Melur via Keezhur. For the first time, EVMs would be sent in vehicles to these hamlets for the 2026 Tamil Nadu Assembly election. Earlier, officials took the EVMs and other materials over their heads to these hamlets, the officials added.