A road that existed as early as 1200 AD, washed away in 1924 floods, and completely closed in 2010 by the Forest Department, is in the news yet again. The Royal Munnar – Kochi road of Kerala, a 120 km path that starts in Aluva and ends near the present-day Munnar town, has not been in use for a long time after extensive damage and a 2005 government report that advised against its revival. However, the local people, led by the church, demand the road’s reopening as it reduces the distance to Munnar’s Mankulam by 20 km. However, the government and the Forest department are against it, saying it passes 26 kms through a deep forest of Pooyamkutty, has many elephant corridors, and it would invite more man-animal conflicts.
The mesmerizing history of the iconic royal path is still fresh in the older generation’s minds, as protests are getting stronger. Although the path was in a dilapidated condition and unfit for transportation, it was partly used by the people until 1990. The native people mostly used it to transport bamboo from the forest. Meanwhile, the bridges built as part of the old royal path still stand sturdy, as per reports.
