Remote tribal hamlets atop Alleri hillock, which forms part of Jawadhu Hills, on the outskirts of Vellore town will soon get their first bitumen road since Independence to reach the foothills. The District Rural Development Agency (DRDA) has sent a compensation package to Commissionerate of Land Administration of the State government for its nod to commence new road work in the hillock.

DRDA officials said that proposal to lay a bitumen road to connect tribal hamlets in the hills with plains was being pursued since 2023 after a 35-year-old tribal man, who was bitten by a snake, died on the way when he was carried on foot from the hillock to the hospital in the plains. “Continuous paperwork is being done to get clearance for the road work. Once the proposal gets its nod from the Commissionerate of Land Administration, work will start in two months,” Mohammed Wasim, Assistant Engineer (AE), DRDA, told The Hindu. 

Along with DRDA officials and M. Vijay Chandran, District Health Officer (DHO), Vellore, Collector P.S. Leela Alex inspected tribal hamlets in the hillock a few days ago. “During monsoon, hamlets in the hills are cut off from towns in the plains with sick people having to be carried by people to the nearest hospital at the foothills. A permanent bitumen road will end our ordeal,” said B. Sadaiyan, a resident.

DRDA officials said that as per plan, the new road will connect Varadalampattu and Nelli Marakollai villages, a distance of 8 km. Of the total 8 km, five kilometres of the stretch have to be laid in Alleri Reserve Forest (RF). The new stretch will help eight remote hamlets of Alleri village panchayat, which comprises 12 hamlets with a population of around 2,000 tribals.

The new road will be at least five-metre-wide. The new stretch will have at least 15 culverts to discharge excess rainwater and prevent damage to the carriageway during monsoon.

The entire work, which can be completed in six months, will cost around ₹17 crore.

Forest officials said that three hectares of forest land have been acquired for this purpose after paying a compensation of ₹1.3 crore in February. Also, six hectares of alternative land have been identified as additional compensation to the Forest Department for loss of forest land. At present, tribal hamlets in the hills only have a government primary school, a PDS outlet in a rented building, and a bike ambulance service.