Chennai: Villagers stage road roko, protest against private water tankers

Chennai: While voices for 'water conservation' and 'water management policies' are growing louder in the city, reports of 'water piracy' by private water tankers have started to surface.

People from Cholavaram village, Tiruvallur, staged a road roko and vandalised the motors used to draw water illegally from the agricultural wells using wooden logs in protest against the private water tankers.

The residents of Arumandhai, Kodaku Medu and Maaram Pedu alleged that over 100 water tankers draw water from their wells using large motors and sell the water to star hotels and private institutions in the city. They say that their groundwater table has been depleted completely and that they have don't have sufficient water even for drinking now. This has come as a huge blow to farmers too, who say they do not have sufficient water to water crops.

The villagers took to protest after their appeals to authorities fell on deaf ears. A heavy traffic jam ensued on Arumandhai Junction road as villagers blocked the road with empty pots. Police had to divert the vehicles.

Ponneri tahilsdar
Pughazendhi met the people and promised to initiate action against the guilty. However, people refused to accept his proposal and threatened to carry out another protest if the government didn't initiate action against the accused within 24 hours.