Madurai
After every accident on the bridge, people have protested or staged a road roko asking officials to find a solution to the problem. But this time, the residents of Pamban reacted differently. As a novel protest, against the slippery nature of the road and frequent accidents on the Pamban bridge, Nallathambi, a social activist from Pamban, along with the residents staged a novel protest.
He along with the residents bought a 1 kg cake and wrote on it that it was a function to celebrate the 100th accident on Pamban bridge. He cut the cake and distributed it to mock at the officials for their inaction to prevent accidents.
He informed the tourists that the road bridge is not safe and asked them to drive slowly.
Following that he met the media and said that owing to Prime Minister, Narendra Modi’s, visit to Rameswaram in July a new slippery road was laid on Pamban bridge and even during the road laying works there were several accidents and a fisherman had died.
“In both the accidents, if not for the parapet wall , the buses would have plunged down to a depth of 15 feet and would have even entered the houses.
Though we have petitioned the authorities and requested them for a proper road, they are insensitive, said Nallathambi.
“Accidents have become the order of the day on the Pamban bridge especially after a new slippery road was laid for Narendra Modi’s visit to Rameswaram to inaugurate Kalam memorial. Fishermen families near the bridge were affected due to the accidents involving tourist and government vehicles. On many an occasion fishermen riding two-wheelers on the bridge were injured in the accidents,” said Nallathambi.
As the locals had frequently staged a road roko, the administration decided to replace the slippery part of the road. But, it proved to be an exercise in futility as accidents still continue.
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