Now Reading: Tiruvannamalai demolishes encroachments along temple path, devotees seek night patrols
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Tiruvannamalai demolishes encroachments along temple path, devotees seek night patrols
Tiruvannamalai demolishes encroachments along temple path, devotees seek night patrols
State Highways officials, with police, have demolished illegal structures along 5 km of the 14-km Girivalam path around the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. The second phase will clear the remaining 9 km…
The Story in Brief
State Highways officials, with police, have demolished illegal structures along 5 km of the 14-km Girivalam path around the Arunachaleswarar Temple in Tiruvannamalai. The second phase will clear the remaining 9 km in two days, following orders from District Collector Vandana Garg. Officials say the encroachments had halved carriageway width, forcing pedestrians on to the road, causing waterlogging, and risking lives.
However, devotees demand round-the-clock police patrols on the path, especially at night, after a June gang attempted sexual assault on a woman. During the Aadi festival season, the town now hosts over one lakh visitors daily. Police say additional AR wing personnel are needed; a final decision awaits the Collector and SP.
The Indian Opinion
The demolition is welcome, but the Girivalam path story shows two classic governance failures: slum-clearance without a rehab plan, and safety fixes only after a crime. Both the Highways department and the police district have known about the 14-km path's problems for years. The real test will be whether the Collector and SP approve round-the-clock patrols before more devotees are harmed, and whether displaced shopkeepers get alternative vending space.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, thehindu.com (2)
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
