Farmers and residents planted saplings on two severely damaged roads in Tirupur district on October 21, demanding immediate repairs to routes connecting villages with the Avinashi–Avinashipalayam National Highway, or NH381. The protest highlighted year-long delays in restoring roads that residents say have become dangerous for daily commuters, school and college students, farmers and two-wheeler riders.
The protest was held on the road from above the Velampatti toll plaza to Kovilpalayam and on another stretch running from the eastern side of the toll plaza to Angovil. According to Ramesh, Tirupur city secretary of the Tamil Nadu Farmers’ Protection Association, both roads are filled with potholes and craters and are used daily by residents from several villages.
Ramesh said repeated petitions seeking repairs had not produced action for more than a year. Villagers therefore joined the sapling-planting protest to draw attention to the condition of the roads. The use of saplings was intended to underline how the potholes and depressions had become large enough to resemble planting spaces, while also signalling the disruption faced by people using the routes.
The damaged stretches have also created difficulties for students travelling to school and college, the association said. Two-wheeler riders were frequently involved in accidents, while commuters and farmers faced hardship while using the roads for regular travel. The routes become unusable during rain because water accumulates in the potholes and craters, according to Ramesh.
The roads serve as links between local villages and NH381, making their condition significant for movement beyond the immediate protest location. The report did not specify the number of accidents, the dates of individual incidents or whether any injuries had been officially recorded.
Following the announcement of the protest, residents received information that the block development officer had sent proposals to the district collector seeking funds for relaying both roads. The proposal seeks Rs 73 lakh for the 1.6-km Velampatti toll plaza–Kovilpalayam road and Rs 1.73 crore for the 2.2-km road from the eastern side of the toll plaza to Angovil.
Together, the proposed works cover 3.8 km and involve a combined estimated cost of Rs 2.46 crore. The report does not state whether the district collector has approved the proposals, whether funds have been sanctioned or when work is expected to begin. The next administrative step is therefore consideration of the funding requests and a decision on relaying the two road stretches.
