The imposing tower of Vadabadrasayanar Temple in Srivilliputtur, the State emblem, is the pride of this constituency. Its ‘paal kova’ is not far behind.
Located along the foothills of the Western Ghats, Srivilliputtur constituency has the unique grizzled giant squirrel sanctuary. Though the increase in its population is a major success, the afforestation programme has not yielded the desired result. However, the Forest Department should take credit for bringing to an end granite mining close to the sanctuary.
Forest fire now and then brings to notice the poor strength of manpower in the department. The death of an elephant that strayed into a farm adjoining the hilly terrain due to illegal electric fencing is an example of man-animal conflict in the constituency.
The death of seven devotees, who were washed away in a flash flood en route Sri Sundaramahalingam Temple, led to strict streamlining of devotees’ movement with additional safety and security arrangements.
Increased vehicular traffic on Tirumangalam-Shencottah highway that cuts through the constituency often leads of frequent road accidents. The demand for its widening has been gaining momentum.
“Every year, hundreds of vehicles carrying Ayyappa devotees use the highway and many accidents are reported,” says S.V. Dharmar, an elderly man from Krishnankoil.
The long-pending demand for a ghat road to link Koomapatti with Varushanadu in Theni district has met with a dead-end with an expert committee turning it down. “It would provide a shorter road link between the two districts,” says G.S. Ramasamy of Poovani. Though agriculture is the major employment provider, there is no major source for assured irrigation throughout the year, he says.
Caste clash
A two-decade-old turmoil between two groups of people in Watrap area has seen many murders. Mr. Dharmar says that it has been brought under control in the last five years. “This is a major relief for people of villages around M. Pudupatti,” he says.
S. Sankaranarayanan of Srivilliputtur is worried about the inaction over resurrection of the locked-out cooperative spinning mill. “It was closed down due to sheer mismanagement. It used to give employment for at least 600 people. If it is revived, it could give some job opportunity for the region that is not much industrialised,” he says.
Scores of vehicles from the fireworks units in and around Sivakasi ply into the rural road in Srivilliputtur constituency to pick up and drop men and women for work daily.
M. Ganesamoorthy, a grocery shop owner, complains that not much development has taken place after five-time MLA R. Thamaraikkani lost the election. “It was he who gave us good water scheme in Krishnankoil,” he says.
However, the drinking water scheme with source from Tamirabharani for Srivilliputtur municipality has not produced the desired result. It supplies only three quarters of the designed 60 lakh litres of daily supply.
The bus stand in the town has not kept pace with an increasing population and its demands.
The government hospital, which gets 1,200 patients daily, does not have CT Scan facility. “Patients have to go to Virudhunagar GH for this facility,” a medical officer says. Similarly, the hospital requires an ophthalmologist, dermatologist and an orthopaedic specialist.
Though Rs. 60 lakh was sanctioned for sprucing up Tiruparkadal with a walker’s park, the facility has not been utilised, complains advocate K. Suresh Napolean.
All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam has taken all-out efforts to retain the constituency after two elections when its candidate, R.T. Inbatamilan, son of Thamaraikkani, went on to become a Minister. Party candidate M. Chandra Prabha takes on Puthiya Tamilagam’s C. Muthukumar, contesting in DMK alliance.
Former Tenkasi MP P. Lingam of the CPI is locked in a multi-cornered contest along with E. Ramasamy of the BJP, A. Kalayanasundaram of Naam Tamilar Katchi and V. Vellaichamy of Pattali Makkal Katchi.
