DHARMAPURI: Residents of Ambedkar Nagar in Harur staged a road roko urging the district administration to take steps to remove encroachments from Narasan lake located in the area. The lake bunds have been destroyed and are being sold as housing plots.
On Thursday, about a hundred residents from Ambedkar Nagar, located along Harur—Tiruvannamalai road, gathered on the road with their livestock, children, and vehicles and staged a road roko, condemning the encroachments on Narasan lake.
Speaking to TNIE, K Sundar, a villager, said, “Narasan lake is a 17-acre waterbody, crucial for groundwater recharge, feeding livestock, and farming. Over the years, the lake’s water spread area has been dwindling, and merely 7 acres of the lake remain presently. If left unattended, the lake would soon cease to exist.”
Another resident R Suresh said, “The lake has been converted into housing plots. The bunds of the lake were destroyed and land is being sold. We urge the administration to look into this issue seriously and help recover our lake.” he said.
Officials in the revenue department in Harur said, “Tahsildar Radhakrishnan, DSP Karikal Pari Sankar and Harur DRO, Chinnusami held talks with the protestors and assured a detailed inquiry into the matter. They promised that if any violation is identified following this, severe action will be taken.”
Police sources said that the protest disrupted traffic along the Harur - Tiruvannamalai road for over an hour.