RK Nagar seeks safe drinking water
The residents of Karumari Amman nagar and Gopal Nagar squatted on the roads with empty pots.
Chennai: Tension prevailed in north Chennai and traffic was disrupted after residents of Radhakrishnan Nagar Assembly constituency on Monday staged a demonstration seeking safe drinking water.
The residents of Karumari Amman nagar and Gopal Nagar squatted on the roads with empty pots. They raised slogans criticizing the Chennai metro water supply and sewerage board for not attending to the drinking water contamination issue since last week.
Sensing trouble, police arrived in large numbers and held parleys with agitating public and the local metro water engineers. After assurance from the civic authorities that the complaint will be addressed by Tuesday, the demonstrators gave up their protest.
"Children in our area are often hospitalised due to water borne infections. Water contamination is a perennial issue in our locality, but the civic authorities often neglect our complaints,” a local resident, S. Sekar, told reporters.
“Whenever there is a protest the issue is attended with temporary relief as our local MLA is chief minister. We need long term solution and quality water for our families,” said Sasikala Dhinakar, a resident of Tondiarpet. Water contamination has taken place on a few streets due to a burst in underground pipeline.
The problem is identified and being attended. The residents will get safe water from Tuesday and the existing lines are now being flushed with fresh water, an informed metro water official said.