Residents of Vinoba Nagar in Kudremukh, Chikkamagaluru, have repaired their 200-metre road themselves after waiting for decades. The road connects the labour colony to the Aiyappa Temple. The last time it was asphalted was over 30 years ago when Kudremukh Iron Ore Company Ltd. (KIOCL) operated there. The company closed in 2005 after a Supreme Court order, leaving many workers without jobs. Most colony residents are migrants who worked as daily wage labourers for KIOCL. After the company shut down, contract workers lost income but stayed in the colony. Of 170 families, many now work in plantations and construction. They have had no proper road, electricity, or regular water supply for years. Vikram Kudremukh, a documentary filmmaker from the colony, told The Hindu that locals collected funds from their own pockets to repair the road. "The work involving 40 people began on December 1 and went on till late night. We laid a concrete road using 70 bags of cement and other materials. Total cost was over ₹1.5 lakh. This happened because of the generous contributions from local people," he said. Residents said poor road conditions made it tough to get autorickshaws. Youth hesitated to carry elderly passengers because potholes were risky. It was also hard to take pregnant women and patients to hospitals. Rajamma, a local resident, said the youth working in plantations contributed money. "We are all happy with their gesture," she said. Another resident, Doreraju, criticized officials: "We have no electricity supply, no proper road, and no regular drinking water. The elected representatives just want our votes but do not care to provide services."