Dam closure threatening livelihood of Koomapatti residents

AFTER viral social media reels drew crowds across the state back to the Pilvakkal Periyar Dam near Koomapatti over the last week, many visitors were disappointed to find it closed.

- HARINI M @ Virudhunagar

They later learnt the dam had been closed since the Covid-19 lockdown. But TNIE visit to the village highlights that failure to act swiftly to reopen the once-thriving dam post-lockdown has left hundreds of vendors, auto drivers, and home-based food makers battling for survival for nearly five years and their livelihoods pushed to the brink long before social media brought the place back into the spotlight.