‘Revive Mayiladuthurai, Tharangambadi rail link’
The extension of the line up to ThirunaIlar will provide a circular rail link in delta region and boost tourism and economic growth in the served areas
Across-section of travellers in the delta region has reiterated the demand for reviving the 30- km Mayiladuthurai - Tharangambadi rail link with extension up to Thirunallar which they say would provide a big push to tourism and economic growth.
The new government at the Centre should accord due importance for restoring the rail link and execute the project with extension up to Thirunallar by allocating sucient funds as it would provide a circular link in the delta region benetting rail users, they say.
The revival of the Mayiladuthurai - Tharangambadi rail link and its extension up to Tirunallar was one of the major demands of the electorate of the Mayiladuthurai Lok Sabha constituency in the run up to the general election that was held last month. The railway line via Mannampandal, Sembarnarkoil, Thirukadaiyur, Thillaiyadi and Porayar was originally laid as a metre gauge track during the colonial era in the late 1920s.
This line was in operation for nearly 60 years till December 1986 after which the section was closed, said Arupathy P. Kalyanam, general secretary, Federation of Farmers Associations, Cauvery Delta Districts. Repeated demands from the general public and travellers for restoration of the rail link has not yielded any positive result.
Although assessment and reassessment of the rail link project was done by the railway authorities over a decade ago, nothing concrete came up after this exercise.
The execution of the project should not pose any problem with respect to land acquisition as abundant land belonging to the railways was available between Mayiladuthurai and Tharangambadi as the section was in operation years ago.
The new line connecting Tharangambadi with Tirunallar was only 11 km, said Mr. Arupathy.
“One of the major advantages of reviving the line and extending it up to Tirunallar is that it would provide a circular rail link in the fertile delta region.
The restoration of the line and its extension would provide connectivity to major religious towns such as Thirukadaiyur, Thirunallar, Nagore and Velankanni which attract devotees from various parts of the State,” he said.
Further, it would give a big push to economic development in the delta region as a whole and boost tourism as Tharangambadi and Poompuhar were major tourist spots in the region, he added.
It is strange that the route which has immense potential is being neglected for long, he said.
“The restoration of the line will act as an alternative route to Mayiladuthurai from Karaikal Port which would not only pave the way for easier movement of freight but also boost economic growth in the served areas,” said A. Giri, a member of the Divisional Railway Users Consultative Committee based at Kumbakonam.
Further, the revival of the line would prove benecial for students as it would connect various educational institutions enroute besides providing nearest connectivity to famous Navagraha temple such as Thiruvengadu and Keezhaperumpallam, said Mr. Giri, who is the secretary of the Thanjavur District Railway Users’ Association.
The line would also serve as an important stretch for movement of paddy, said Mr. Arupathy.
Parking regulations
Many public utilities built at huge cost are lying unused in Tiruchi. The integrated vegetable market at Kallikudi has remained underutilised for a long time. The multi-storey vehicle parking facility built on West Boulevard Road with public money is not being used. This dees logic. Parking regulations should be implemented rmly. T.M. Ranganathan,
Srirangam.
Reservation form
The reservation form of the railways for booking train tickets is clumsy and not user-friendly. The space earmarked for writing travel particulars is totally inadequate. There is a column for booking return journeys, which can be removed, since a separate form is required to be submitted for this. To gain more space, the bilingual (Hindi & Tamil) version of the form can be printed on the reverse. Also, to help travellers to ll in forms comfortably the barricades in the reservation queue can be tted with slanted pads.
R. Shankaran, Kumaran Nagar.
Commendable move
The Tiruchi Corporation plans to scrap user charges at some public toilets is highly commendable. At the same time, users should be educated on the upkeep of the toilets. A public toilet needs to be built near the old entrance of the Government Hospital in Tiruchi.
T.A. Ramanathan,
O icers Colony.
Halting of buses
Town buses do not halt at the Usilangulam bus stop in Pudukkottai district these days although a new bus shelter has been built in front of Anna Primary School. Until about ve years ago, all buses, including mofussil buses, used to stop here.
As the buses do not stop at the bus stop, commuters, including senior citizens and students, in the locality nd it very dicult to reach their intended places.
Complaints to the authorities have also fallen on deaf ears. A recent RTI reply dated from the TNSTC authorities conrms that the Usilangulam bus stop is still in the list of designated town bus stops on the Pudukkottai-Alangudi route (via Thiruvarangulam).
The authorities concerned should take immediate steps to ensure that all the town buses stopped at the Usilangulam bus stop.
M. Rajeev Varman,
Pudukkottai.
GPS display boards
Travellers, especially senior citizens, who are travelling in air-conditioned coaches of trains, are not able to identify the station and the next destination. Some people even miss the station where they have to alight.
It is imperative to install GPS electronic display boards in all the night trains to help the travellers identify the location of the train. Will the railway authorities do the needful?
S. Krishnan, Thippirajapuram.
Polling percentage
It is a matter of great bewilderment to understand as to why many people living in cities and towns were reluctant to exercise their franchise in the recently held elections in comparison with their counterparts in rural areas.
Whatever may be the reason, they should have voted to avoid the dip in voting percentage.
It is quite shocking to see the names of regular voters being deleted from the electoral rolls.
It is the responsibility of the Chief Election Ocer to probe the matter so as to nd a lasting solution to increase polling percentage.
Heat wave
R. Pichumani, Thippirajapuram.
The central region is experiencing a heat wave. Tiruchi recorded the second hottest day after 136 years recently with the mercury touching 43.1 degrees Celsius.
Extreme heat can a£ect the young and the old, especially pregnant women and those with chronic health conditions. People should avoid venturing out during the hottest hours of the day and restrict activities to the relatively cooler periods of the day.
People should also stay well hydrated and follow the guidelines issued by authorities and doctors.
Dr. M.A. Aleem,
Tiruchi.