Coracle contractors arrested

Police said Karuppannan, 63, and Karthi, 30, of Jedarpalayam and Kaboor Khan, 72, of Valliampalayam built the mud culvert without permission from the Public Works Department. They had got the contract for operating coracles. As the river ran dry, they hit upon the idea to earn money. The public was charged Rs 10 for two-wheelers and Rs 20 for four-wheelers for using the pathway. Many took it by coughing up the money to avoid a detour. On receiving a complaint, Erode Collector S Prabhakar directed PWD officials to demolish the structure. Shockingly, a visit by the PWD officials on Sunday revealed that the contractors had begun building the culvert by placing cement pipes. This along with two other similar mud pathways built on the Cauvery were again demolished