Residents demand restoration of bridge connecting cremation ground

A broken bridge across a tributary of Thenpennaiyar at Soriankuppam is giving a hard time to the residents, as they find it difficult to reach the only cremation ground in the area.

The residents of Soriankuppam and adjacent places in Kuruvinatham and Irulansanthai have traditionally been using the cremation ground, situated across the bordering villages of Bahour. 

After a long struggle, a small bridge was constructed nine years ago.

Due to heavy rain during the northeast monsoon in 2017, a part of the bridge was washed away, putting residents in the area to untold hardship.

“It is back to the old days, when we had to cross the river, carrying the body, to the cremation ground. During the monsoon, we have to take a detour to reach the cremation ground,” said Dinakaran, a resident of Kuruvinatham. 

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) organised a series of agitations, including a mock funeral, two years ago, demanding the immediate restoration of the bridge.