COIMBATORE: AIADMK councillors staged a protest outside Victoria Hall in Coimbatore on Wednesday, ahead of the Coimbatore City Municipal Corporation's (CCMC) monthly council meeting, raising concerns over alleged administrative lapses and the persistent foul odour from the Vellalore dumpyard.
The opposition members condemned the mayor for what they described as irregular conduct of monthly council meetings. Holding placards and covering their mouths with party scarves, the councillors symbolically highlighted the unbearable stench emanating from the city's primary garbage dump at Vellalore.
AIADMK councillors Prabhakaran, Ramesh and Sharmila Chandrasekar led the demonstration. They said residents living from Vellalore to Kovaipudur continue to suffer due to the strong odour from the dumpyard, which they alleged has not been effectively addressed by the civic body.
"The people in these areas are facing severe hardship because of the foul smell. The corporation has failed to take meaningful action," the protesting councillors said, adding that the issue has been raised multiple times without satisfactory resolution.
The councillors also demanded a separate CBI inquiry into the Vellalore dumpyard issue and alleged corruption within the corporation, escalating the political heat around the matter.
Apart from that, they also accused the civic body and the DMK councillors of corruption and alleged that the officials were paving roads on top of new roads that were paved a few months ago. Their protest created brief tension outside the venue before they dispersed.