Work to widen the tribal road that navigates through reserve forests (RFs) between Jamunamarathur and Chengam atop Jawadhu Hills in Tiruvannamalai commenced on Tuesday.
Officials of the State Highways said that the existing single lane stretch in the forests was once a pathway that was used mostly by tribals in the hills. Many years ago, the pathway was bitumen-topped, mainly for forest officials to patrol the hills to prevent poaching and other illegal activities.
Since then, the stretch was not re-laid. “The widening of the narrow stretch in the forests will help tribals travel safely to areas in the plains. They can also transport farm produce to local markets. The entire work will be completed in 2026,” K. Manohar, Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE), State Highways (Chengam), told The Hindu.
Accompanied by Collector K. Tharpagaraj, B. Krishnasamy, and P. Gnanavel, Superintending Engineer (SE) and Divisional Engineer (DE) of State Highways respectively, the Minister for Public Works E.V. Velu laid the foundation stone for the widening work. “The new two-lane stretch will help vehicles including ambulances and mini-buses to reach tribal hamlets in the hills. There will be a permanent road connectivity to reach big towns in the plains,” said V. Mayandi, a resident.
