Dharmapuri: No Road to Reach Hospital, Girl Dies of Snakebite in Tamil Nadu, Incident Revives Demand for Road in Pennagaram Village
A 13-year-old girl’s tragic death following a snake bite in the remote Alakattu village of Pennagaram in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmapuri has reignited calls for a motorable road to connect the hill hamlet to basic healthcare services. The girl, Kasthuri, was bitten by a cobra on Thursday while plucking leaves in a field.
Dharmapuri, November 29: A 13-year-old girl’s tragic death following a snake bite in the remote Alakattu village of Pennagaram in Tamil Nadu’s Dharmauri district has reignited calls for a motorable road to connect the hill hamlet to basic healthcare services. The girl, Kasthuri, was bitten by a cobra on Thursday while plucking leaves in a field. Her family’s desperate attempt to save her ended in heartbreak when she died after being carried for 1.5 hours on a makeshift stretcher to the nearest motorable road, where an auto-rickshaw was waiting to take her to the hospital.
The journey down the rugged 8-km dirt track underscores the village’s severe isolation. With no proper road, ambulance services are unavailable, and even two-wheelers struggle to navigate the terrain. Kasthuri’s uncle, Basavaraj, explained that the village of 40 families relies on tractors borrowed from neighbouring areas for emergencies, which often causes significant delays. “This is the reality we face for any illness or delivery. Sometimes, deliveries happen in the village itself because the roads are impossible to traverse,” he said. Kamareddy: Man Bitten by Cobra While Performing Stunts With Snake for Social Media Reel in Telangana, Dies (Watch Video).
The village’s remoteness and poor infrastructure have left residents without access to basic healthcare, education, and development. The dirt path is further complicated by streams that crisscross it, making road construction challenging. Snake Attack in Maharashtra: Snake Charmer Dies After Cobra Bite in Gondia; Disturbing Video Surfaces.
District Collector K Shanthi stated that the road falls under forest land, and clearance from the Forest Department is still pending. Residents, however, have been pleading for a road for years. “We were assured that a road would be laid, but nothing has been done,” Basavaraj added. Kasthuri was the youngest of five siblings, and her death has brought attention to the urgent need for infrastructure in Alakattu.
(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 29, 2024 03:03 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).