Residents of Hallan Nagar in Udhagamandalam forced to undertake perilous trek through forest to reach nearest road

Residents of Hallan Nagar, mostly Dalit labourers, are denied access to a right of way, forcing them to walk 2 km through a perilous forest. They carry ailing and deceased family members on crudely-fashioned stretchers. VCK has taken up the fight to gain road access for the community, while residents have petitioned the Collector. VCK plans protests to pressure local admin to allow access or lay an alternative road.

More than 70 families residing at Hallan Nagar in Ward 13 of Ketti Town Panchayat have to walk through almost 2 km of perilous forest paths to reach the nearest accessible road due to private land owners denying them access to a right of way, allege local residents and activists.

The more than 70 residents of Hallan Nagar, mostly Dalit labourers earning only daily wages, are forced to carry their ailing and deceased family members using crudely-fashioned stretchers.

According to G. Sathish from the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK), the party that has taken up the fight to gain road access for the community, the lack of roads means that the ailing and elderly do not have immediate access to healthcare. “In the night, the area has many wild animals, including gaur, leopards, porcupines and wild boar, all of which are a threat to the safety of residents who have to take a bridle path through a forest area to reach the closest motorable road that can be reached by ambulances,” said local residents.

Mr. Sathish said that the paths become even more difficult to cross during spells of heavy rain. He said that a private school functioning in the area was denying people access to a panchayat road that cuts through land it has claimed.  

Local residents said that they had submitted petitions to the Collector demanding access to the panchayat road, but to no avail. Mr. Sathish said that the VCK had taken up the issue and planned protests to pressurise the local administration into convincing the school to allow residents to use the road, or to lay an alternative road into the village.