MAYILADUTHURAI: Panic gripped residents of Pannerveli village near Mayiladuthurai on Thursday morning after human faeces was found on the concrete slab atop an overhead drinking water tank. The matter came to light when a 26-year-old resident of Pannerveli climbed the tank to use his mobile phone after facing poor network connectivity.
Police said the faeces was found on the concrete slab above the tank and had not been mixed with the drinking water. Residents subsequently cleaned the lid, police said.
The tank in Villiyanallur panchayat supplies water to around 200 families belonging to Scheduled Caste (SC) communities in Pannerveli and other communities, including Backward Classes (BC) in Palakkudi village situated about 1 km away. The area comes under the jurisdiction of Manalmedu police station. Learning about the incident, District Superintendent of Police B Sneha Priya visited the spot, and the police launched an inquiry. Police sources said no formal complaint has been lodged and no FIR registered.
Three special teams have been formed to investigate the incident. Police said the investigation found that a minor boy from Pannerveli had defecated on top of the tank on the night of November 8 (Deepavali day) in an urgency to relieve himself. Police said the act was prompted solely by the natural urgency and the boy had no ulterior motive. Sources said youngsters often used the space atop the tank as a hangout spot, adding that the incident had occurred during one such visit.
In the evening, Collector HS Srikanth, along with the Superintendent of Police and other officials, visited the village and spoke to the residents.
Villagers urged the officials to demolish the ‘deteriorating structure’ and construct a new tank.
They said water supply was suspended following the incident, leaving them facing shortage. Official sources said alternative arrangements are being made to supply drinking water to the residents.
Janagaraj, a resident of the Villiyanallur panchayat, said the tank was in a dilapidated condition. “The upper concrete portion is crumbling, there is no proper cover, and a tin sheet has been placed over it,” he claimed. Senthil Kumar, another resident, expressed concern that rats and other animals often fall into the tank and contaminate the water.
Srikanth said the district administration is planning to construct a new tank in the village.