Several hundreds of residents in a cluster of over 15 tribal settlements in the Western Ghats in Udumalpet taluk are understood to be watching with keen interest the outcome of the effort taken by the authorities in Vellore district to bring about road connectivity to Athimarathurkollai village on Jawadhu hills where an infant girl died of snakebite recently due to the delayed treatment caused by the treacherous terrain.
The child died before being carried on foot to the nearest taluk hospital. In the absence of a motorable road, there was no scope to utilise even a two-wheeler. The child had to be carried back again on foot to the hamlet for the last rites after post-mortem.
The same situation prevails in the hilly parts of Udumalpet taluk where the residents in tribal hamlets have to carry patients on poles for a distance of several kilometres to reach the government hospital.
