Mananthavadi: Recognising the power of art to express anger and anguish, more than 50 school children portrayed Wayanad's plight due to inadequate road connectivity at a drawing competition held on Sunday at the Panchayath Community Hall, Kavumandham. The event was organised in light of the ongoing agitation by the People's Action Council for the Poozhithode- Padinjarathara Road.

According to the leaders of the action council, the painting competition was held to mobilise public opinion in support of the decades-long demand for an alternate road to the Thamarassery Ghat road, connecting Poozhithode in Kozhikode District with Padinjarethara in Wayanad.

The programme was organised in connection with the 45th anniversary celebrations of the formation of Wayanad district, which came into being on November 1, 1980, and still lacks adequate road connectivity. Whenever there is a block on Thamarassery Ghat Road —the major connecting route —due to heavy traffic or accidents, the entire region is cut off from the rest of the state. 

The travel blues of the people of the hilly district was the theme selected by the majority of participants, while many others captured the beautiful landscape and roaming wildlife in vibrant images on paper.    

The drawing competition was organised as part of a massive people's gathering held at Kavumandham, with the support of Thariode Village Panchayat, and the Vyapari Vyavasayi Ekopana Samithy, Kavumandham unit, in continuation of the ongoing agitation for the alternate road. The slogan of the event was "Right to Travel is the Right of the People".

According to Shameem Parakkandi, Thariyod village panchayat president, the students' paintings are shedding light on the travel constraints faced in the region and on Wayanad's backwardness, which calls out for better connectivity. Kamal Joseph, coordinator of the action council, says that this will definitely be an eye-opener for others and would attract more people to join the ongoing agitation of the people of the region.

In total, 57 students participated in the drawing competition in the senior and junior sections. Prizes were awarded to all winners, and consolation prizes were given to all participants.

Wayanad District panchayath president Shamsad Marakkar inaugurated the people's collective organised in connection with the agitation for the alternate road linking the region with Poozhithode in Kozhikode District.

It may be recalled that successive governments failed to complete the 7-km stretch of the Poozhithode-Padinjarathara Road, which was envisaged as an alternative to the Thamarassery Ghat Road.

The state Public Works Department has now submitted a proposal to complete the stretch with a revised alignment.

The proposed alignment includes a tunnel road of 2.844 km to avoid the steep elevation near Vilanganpara, a rocky hillock. It also suggests constructing a 36-meter bridge across the Muthett River.

According to PWD officials, the total distance along the new alignment, including the tunnel, is 20.97 km — 6.225 km shorter than the earlier plan of 27.225 km. The new alignment was prepared after a detailed study for ₹1.5 crore.

The PWD reportedly took notice only after the public agitation demanding the road had crossed 1000 days.