Tribal Man’s Body Carried On Doli Through Forest Due To Lack Of Road Access In Tamil Nadu

A tragic incident in Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, exposed poor infrastructure as villagers carried a tribal man's body due to the lack of roads.

Coimbatore:A heart-rending incident in the Nelliuthurai panchayat of Mettupalayam, Tamil Nadu, has exposed the severe lack of infrastructure faced by tribals. Mani, a 45-year-old daily wage labourer from Kadaman Kombaai village, died of a heart attack while returning from a ration shop near the Pillur Dam. Due to the lack of proper road access, his body was carried on a makeshift Doli for three kilometres through a dense forest.

Mani had travelled to the ration shop to collect essential commodities. After suffering a fatal heart attack, he was taken to the Mettupalayam government hospital where he was declared dead. An ambulance shifted his body to Neeradi, but due to the impassable road leading to Kadaman Kombaai, ambulance personnel reportedly handed over the body to his relatives and left.

Forced to carry the body, his family and fellow villagers constructed a doli and trekked through the dense forest to reach Kadaman Kombaai for his final rites. This village, along with other tribal settlements like Neeradi, Paralikadu, and Billur, lacks basic road connectivity, making access to essential services extremely challenging.

Residents expressed their frustration, stating that they often have to pay for private transport to reach Mettupalayam or Karamadai for ration supplies or medical emergencies. During the monsoon season, even jeep travel becomes perilous, forcing them to walk several kilometres through the forest where they face the constant threat of wild animal attacks.

They appealed to the government to address the lack of road infrastructure and provide safe access to their villages. A video of the body being carried through the forest has gone viral, highlighting the plight of these marginalised communities.