Coimbatore: Farmers climbed a high voltage tower near Karumathampatti on the outskirts of Coimbatore and staged a protest demanding to stop erecting high voltage power grid towers in fields.
Tension prevailed at Semmandampalayam on Wednesday after a group of farmers climbed a high voltage tower and staged a protest claiming that they would jump down and commit suicide. This took place after government officials of the Power Grid Corporation surveyed fields at Karumathampatti-Semmandampalayam.
The power grid firm of the central government is involved in erecting high voltage towers from Sateeshkar to Kerala via fields. In Tirupur district the towers have been already installed for a distance of 80-km from Pugalur to Arasur. A few towers were recently installed at Karumathampatti-Semmandampalayam despite serial protests by farmers.
While officials were involved in a land survey on Wednesday, a group of over 50 farmers besieged them and raised slogans, condemning the move, while more than 12 farmers led by farmers' association state treasurer Thangaraj climbed the tower and threatened to jump down if the officials did not promise to drop the project.
Police along with fire fighting commandos rushed to the spot, brought the farmers down and arrested them.
Coimbatore MP-designate P.R. Natarajan condemned the police move and demanded release of the farmers immediately.
