More than 500 men and women are demanding clean drinking water for the people of Bellepalayam near Mettupalayam. They sat on a dharna on the Sirumugai-Annur road in front of the panchayat office with empty pots.
Coimbatore: People staged a dharna with empty pots near Mettupalayam in Coimbatore district demanding proper and clean drinking water supply.
There are a total of 13 panchayats including Bellepalayam panchayat in Karamadai panchayat union near Mettupalayam. Water from Bhavani river is brought to these panchayats through piped water and supplied to them.
Since the water brought in is not clean water, the Chettipulam pumping well in Irumborai panchayat is filled with water and the water is purified in a 3-tier system. Thereafter, it is supplied to panchayats including Jadayampalayam, Bellepalayam, Eluppanatham and Irumborai.
In this situation, the water coming from Bhavani river to Chettipulam is not coming clean. It is also said that the water from the nearby pond mixes with the Chettipulam pumping station and the water is not supplied to the public in a hygienic manner.
It is learnt that despite repeated complaints from the public to Bellepalayam panchayat president Sivakumar in this regard, no action has been taken.
More than 500 men and women from more than 15 villages, including Vellikuppampalayam, SRS Nagar Thenponmudi, Elagampalayam, Vadapagathur and SS Nagar of Bellepalayam panchayat, sat on a dharna on the Sirumugai-Annur road in front of the panchayat office with empty pots this morning.
Following this, panchayat president Sivakumar, Annur police inspector Nithya and police rushed to the spot and held talks with the protesting public. Inspector Nithya suddenly caught hold of a picketer and tried to pull him away.
Seeing this, fellow public got into an argument with the inspector. The road blockade continued for more than an hour as no officials arrived at the site of the picketing.
Due to this, there was a tense atmosphere in the area for a few hours.