TIRUNELVELI: Villagers around Thaazhaiyoothu in the district staged a demonstration outside the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) office under the banner of Manithaneya Makkal Katchi (MMK) on Sunday, protesting the lack of water supply to over 3,000 households in the last 45 days. They threatened to disrupt the upcoming Tamil Nadu Premier League (TNPL) matches if water was supplied to the venue without ensuring the same to them.
The protesters said 23 panchayats around Thaazhaiyoothu and several other settlements, including Poonthotta Nagar, Sree Nagar and Pasumpon Nagar, have not been supplied water for the last 45 days.
"The region is fed by the Suthamalli pumping station. However, authorities stopped supplying water without notice. When approached, officials said that the whole district is facing a crisis and not just their area," a protester told Express.
The protesters said they were buying drinking water from private suppliers and relying on borewells for domestic needs. On Sunday, they gathered outside the TNEB office with empty pots. They criticised the officials for not paying heed to their woes and alleged that the problem remained unsolved for nearly two months in spite of petitions and protests. "If water is not supplied to affected areas before the commencement of Tamil Nadu Premier League, we will definitely stage protests against the league," MMK district president Usman Khan said.