Demanding restoration of drinking water supply to residents, a group from Aththaalanallur village panchayat submitted a petition to Collector V. Vishnu on Monday.
The petitioners, led by C. Rajagopal, said drinking water supply to three hamlets under the Aththaalanallur village panchayat, housing 2,000 families, went awry following the recent flood in the Tamirabharani. As the pumps and supply pipes were damaged in the floods, drinking water supply to the villages under Aththaalanallur village panchayat remains affected.
“Though we represented this problem with the village panchayat secretary and the Block Development Officer of Paapaakudi Union, they have not taken any positive step to repair the pumps and the damaged drinking water supply pipes. Hence, the Collector should take appropriate action against these two officials and ensure the restoration of drinking water supply in Aththaalanallur village panchayat,” Mr. Rajagopal said.
Two petitions were submitted separately appealing to the Collector to give permission for giving ‘annadhaanam’ to devotees coming to Sri Nambi Temple at Thirkkurungudi. The petitioners said serving of food to the devotees coming to the shrine was suspended following the pandemic last year.
Though the State Government had allowed serving of food in the temples after the lockdown norms were relaxed, the Department of Forest was yet to give permission for serving of food to the visitors of the temple situated inside the Kalakkad – Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve. Hence, the Collector should instruct the officials concerned for allowing the sponsors to serve food to the devotees coming to Nambi Temple.
On behalf of Hindu Makkal Katchi, a petition was submitted demanding the removal of a cemetery near the temple at Manimurtheeswaram. The petitioners said the 40-year-old burial ground situated near Sri Uchchishta Ganapathi Temple at Manimurtheeswaram was hurting the sentiments of the devotees. Hence, the graveyard should be removed, the petitioners said.
After 86 graves in the burial ground, being administered by Sacred Heart Church, Udaiyaarpatti, were badly damaged by miscreants on October 18 last, the police arrested a few office-bearers of Hindu Makkal Katchi and some of them were subsequently detained under the National Security Act.
As the weekly grievances redressal meet that was suspended in the wake of the pandemic was revived after a gap of ten months more than 200 petitions were submitted directly to the Collector. The petitioners with masks were asked to wash their hands with soap and sanitiser was offered before they entered the District Development Council Hall where Mr. Vishnu was receiving the petitions.