PERAMBALUR: Lacking basic amenities such as proper roads and street lights, residents of Panangur in the district have recently submitted petitions with Perali panchayat, the district collectorate and Transport Minister S Sivasankar seeking redressal of the state of affairs.
More than 120 families reside in Panangur, where the roads are riddled with pits and potholes, and street lights have not been functioning for three years. With no drain canals provided, sewage is left to stagnate in the streets, putting the residents at risk of diseases, the villagers say.
The road leading to the village graveyard especially has been severely damaged, making it hard for the villagers to even carry their dead. M Sivasankar, a resident, told TNIE, "Despite our village being small, the administration has failed to provide basic facilities. The stagnant sewage, especially around the anganwadi, provides a perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes. This is why some parents fear to send their children there."
Apart from this, the Marudaiyaru, which passes through the village, often overflows and floods homes during every monsoon.
"The road to our village was last laid around 15 years ago. It has become difficult for us to drive through these damaged roads during the monsoon. Tar roads must be laid in the village," Sivasankar added. "The Marudaiyaru is being renovated at many places, but the stretch running through our village is heavily encroached upon by seemai karuvelam, and the village gets continually flooded during the monsoon.
When we raise these issues in the panchayat, they say that there are no funds. The district administration should take necessary steps on this." When contacted, Veppur Block Development Officer R Selvakumar told TNIE, "We are providing them with adequate facilities, including drainage canals. I will look into this issue."