Danushkodi to Get Road Connectivity

Introduction

Till recently, people found it difficult to go into the ghost town of Dhanushkodi, near Rameshwaram. They have to pay the hefty amount to travel in jeeps that are suitable for the rough terrain in Dhanushkodi. Mostly, the road has a number of humps and gutters, shaking the occupants of the vehicles traveling to the ghost town. Despite this, the number of people flocking this lost town has only increased with time. Taking into the view the immense tourist potential, the Tamil Nadu government has laid a new road to this ghost town. The 9.5-kilometer road connects the tip of the land formation with the Tamil Nadu mainland.  In this blog post, we will look at the new development in some detail so that the readers get some benefit out of it.

New Road

The district administration and the state government have understood the tourist potential of Dhanushkodi, and it's historical as well as mythological significance only too well. That was the reason why the work on laying of new road to the Dhanushkodi rubble had begun two years back. The length of the new road is about 9.5 kilometers. While executing this project, every effort was put in to conserve the remains of this old port town. According to the Highways Department, the 9.5-kilometre road has been constructed in two stretches. The first stretch has a length of 5 kilometers, and it connects Mukuntharayarchathiram and Dhanushkodi. The 4.5-kilometre second stretch connects further the old port town to Arichalmunai, the farthest point from the mainland. In order to protect the newly built road from the ravages of the sea, the gabion boxes have been installed on the either side of the road. The authorities believe that these boxes protecting the road will become boulders over a period of time and protect its sides.

Delayed Opening

In the mid of November 2016, the newly laid road to Dhanushkodi had suffered damage due to the banging of strong tidal waves on the land. This has further delayed the opening of this new road to the public. Since the road was well fortified with gabion boxes, the extent of the damage to the road was minimal. It will take another 3 months before the road is thrown open to the general public. The Highways Department will construct a one-kilometre seawall from Mukuntharayachathiram towards Dhanushkodi.  The department will also construct a half kilometer protective wall at the end point – Arichalmunai.  The Public Works Department (PWD) of the Tamil Nadu state government has further proposed to construct a 3.5-kilometre seawall from Mukuntharayachahiram towards the old port town to completely protect the road from the sea.

Dhanushkodi Port Town

This old port town was bustling with various activities till December 23, 1964, when a super cyclone struck it with its destructive force. As a result of this catastrophe, all the government and private institutions in the town, including a port that connected it to Sri Lanka through a ferry service, were washed away. This super cyclone also ruined many structures that were present there. Hence, the place was declared unfit for living. Despite this, a small number of fishing families still live there without any basic amenities.  They interact with the tourists who visit the old port town and earn their sustenance, apart from their routine fishing activities. 

Video Presentation

For the benefit of readers, we are just adding a video presentation on what to expect at the old and abandoned port town near the Sri Lankan island. This video comes from Incredible India.