By The Hindu Bureau
Copyright thehindu
Seeking District Collector R. Sukumar’s immediate intervention to stop the uncontrolled dumping of waste allegedly by the Gopalasamudram town panchayat in the waterbody near their village, a group of residents from Indra Colony near Koththankulam submitted petition on Monday.
The petitioners said they were using the water from Kalvettaankulam near their hamlet for drinking purpose and irrigation for several decades besides for sustaining their cattle. However, the dumping of waste in the waterbody allegedly by the Gopalasamudram town panchayat daily had polluted the irrigation tank. The waste being dumped in the dry areas of the waterbody was being burnt, which was again polluting the environment.
“Since we cannot use this polluted water for drinking, irrigation, and maintaining the cattle, we submitted a petition to the officials to stop the dumping of waste in the irrigation tank. However, action was not taken. Encouraged by the inaction, medical waste and the chicken wastes are also being dumped in the tank. While we cannot use the water, the toxic smoke from the burning waste is causing health issues to the villagers. Hence, the Collector should instruct the officials concerned to stop this practice and remove the waste heaped in Kalvettaankulam,” said the petitioners.
Insurance claim
A group of farmers from Kaanaarpatti submitted a petition seeking the early disbursal of insurance benefits for the black gram loss they suffered last year due to poor rainfall. The petitioners, led by district secretary of Tamil Nadu All Farmers’ Associations Coordination Committee D. Abraham, said farmers, who had raised black gram in Maanur area last year, had suffered huge loss due to poor rainfall. Even though they had paid the insurance premium before the deadline as stipulated by the company, the insurance benefits for crop loss was yet to be disbursed.
Hence, the Collector should instruct the insurance firm to immediately settle the insurance benefits to insurers, the petitioners said.
Another group of villagers from Kaanaarpatti submitted a petition appealing to the Collector to improve drinking water supply to their hamlet. “Since we are getting drinking water once in 15 days, the Collector should instruct the Maanur panchayat union officials to take steps to augment the drinking water supply,” the petitioner villagers said.
