CUDDALORE: Residents of Kothandavalam village near Srimushnam and members of the Naam Tamilar Katchi at Perumathur near Bhuvanagiri staged protests by planting paddy saplings on damaged roads, demanding urgent repair of the roads and proper drainage facilities.
Villagers of Kothandavalam in Srimushnam taluk on Tuesday planted saplings amid heavy rain on South Street, which they said had become unfit for traffic due to stagnant rainwater and slush. The village has more than 2,000 residents.
“The road is filled with stagnant water and vehicles cannot pass through,” residents said. “Drinking water has also mixed with sewage, and we have complained several times, but no action has been taken,” they added.
Residents said they had submitted petition to Srimushnam tahsildar and the block development office, and also raised the issue at the recent gram sabha meeting, but no steps have been taken so far.
“If the authorities fail to act, we will block the Chennai - Kumbakonam National Highway,” the protesters warned.
In a separate protest on Wednesday, members of the Naam Tamilar Katchi planted paddy saplings near the direct paddy procurement centre at Perumathur in Bhuvanagiri. They demanded that the access road to the centre be repaired immediately.
A new storage warehouse costing Rs 70 lakh was recently constructed at the procurement centre. Protesters said the absence of a proper road had caused problems for farmers and workers, especially during continuous rain that had turned the area muddy.
“It has become impossible to transport and store paddy bags safely,” said a protester. “We have made several appeals, but no action has been taken. That is why we planted paddy saplings at the warehouse entrance,” he added.