THENI: Opposing the proposed eviction of residents from 98 villages in and around Varusanadu in Andipatti taluk, hundreds of Megamalai hill residents continued their indefinite protest at the Kadamalaikundu bus stand for the third day on Monday.
The villagers, who have been staging agitations for the past three months, demanded that the forest department stop the eviction process. Supporting the hill residents, hundreds of office-bearers of the Kadamalaikundu All Traders Association took out a procession and joined the sit-in, expressing solidarity with the protesters.
Meanwhile, the scorching heat and overcrowding at the venue reportedly left several elderly protesters breathless. Four elderly persons, including Saraswathi and Sekar from Valiparai, allegedly fainted during the protest. They were given first aid by 108 ambulance personnel stationed at the venue and later sent to the Government Medical College Hospital in Theni.