Title - Absence of subway irks residents

For residents of Bodinaikenpatti and its adjacent colonies, reaching Salem city is a herculean task as they have to travel an additional eight km road with no subway for vehicle movement.About 30,000 people live in Bodinaikenpatti, Andipatti, Annanagar, Kattur, Velliyagounden Street, Selathanpatty, Sivadapuram and Mottur.

Existing subway
There was just one sub way for pedestrians, over which ran a railway bridge.Students, workers and public have to take the road to Sivadapuram and enter the city, with just one pedestrian sub way in the area.

Ambulances
The situation gets worse when ambulances ferrying patients have to take the additional route to reach hospitals in the city.Ward Councillor P. Veerakumar said there was a long-pending demand for a subway. Representation to political parties, rural development officials, and collector did not yield any results.

Reduced travelling

“We demand a subway so that the travelling is reduced by eight km,” added Mr. Veerakumar.

The demand had led to road and rail blockades and hunger strike in February 2008.

But it was not met, despite promises made during election time.

A resident, Mariappan, said the existing subway should be extended so that at least school vans and tempos could pass through. “Adjoining areas have developed, and are thickly populated. So subway would serve the need of more than 5,000 families,” he added.