DHARMAPURI: Farmers of Dharmapuri district have urged the railways to reroute the proposed Marapur-Dharmapuri broad gauge line by 500 meters to preserve agricultural fields and prevent displacement of over 300 families. The original Marapur-Dharmapuri metro line was opened in 1906 by the Madras Railway Company. In 1913 it was extended to Hosur. During World War II, services were suspended and the track fell into disuse. Its route has been transformed into residential and agricultural land. In 2019, the central government approved a Rs 100 crore project to rehabilitate the line as a 36-km broad-gauge line with a target completion date of 2023.
Land acquisition has started in 18 villages in Harur, Papireddipati and Dharmapuri taluks. Out of 194 hectares of leased land, notices were issued under the Land Seizure Act for 134 hectares. Work is underway to prepare diversion routes on 60 acres for farmers in Mukanur, Chettikarai, Aledharmapura and Reddy Ali. A further 33 hectares of Poramboke land is also to be acquired, of which 18 hectares are already under cultivation and 15 hectares are proposed to be set aside. During the Lok Sabha session on 4 December 2023, the then Dharmapuri MP Dr. Senthil Kumar said, “I am grateful to the central government for approving the Dharmapuri-Marappur rail link project, which is a long-standing demand of the people of Dharmapuri, and for allocating Rs. 100 crore.” He added, “The railway project should be implemented on a different route, about 500 meters away from the railway track, so that the agricultural fields of the residents of these two villages are not affected.» Later, a dispute arose in Mukanur over the location of the proposed new railway station. At a meeting chaired by Dharmapuri district collector R. Sadhes in August, 205 participants voted: “A total of 139 were in favor of the old location and 66 were in favor of the alternative,” he said. However, some villagers claim that outsiders participated in the survey. “We have submitted a petition to Tamil Nadu Agriculture and Farmers Welfare Minister MRK Panneerselvam through Dharmapuri DMK MP A Mani. But no action was taken,” said the villager. Farmers are hoping that the central government will reverse the order and take new measures to protect the affected families.
