Residents wade through neck-deep canal with dead man to reach burial ground

Residents of Veerasolapuram struggle to reach burial ground due to lack of bridge over Rajan canal, new bridge sanctioned.

Lack of a bridge has been giving a tough time to residents of Veerasolapuram near Kattumannarkovil, as they have been finding it difficult to wade through the Rajan canal to reach the burial ground located on the other side.

On Thursday, a group of residents waded through neck-deep water for about 500 metre in the Rajan canal carrying the mortal remains of Kaliyaperumal, 70, a resident of the village. A video clip of the villagers carrying the body has since gone viral on social media.

Residents said this has been a recurring scenario for the past few years as there is no alternative road to reach the burial ground on the other side. The situation turns worse when the canal flows at full capacity. For long, the locals have been demanding the construction of a bridge across the canal.

According to an official, a new bridge was sanctioned in 2023 and it has already been constructed. There are two habitations in the area and the new bridge is located near one of the habitations. An old bridge has been lying in disuse and the residents of the other habitation also have been demanding a new bridge. “We will look into the demand if it is technically possible”, he said.

Collector Sibi Adhithya Senthil Kumar said that a new bridge would be constructed at an outlay of ₹20 lakh.

With inflow in the canal now on the rise a temporary bridge would be built immediately, he said.