TIRUPATTUR: Residents of Pallipattu in Tirupattur staged a protest on Sunday on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh state highway against the inaction on the long-pending drainage issue in the area.
By stopping a bus and blocking the road, the protesters alleged that despite repeated complaints to authorities to remove the rainwater mixed with sewage, no action has been taken yet. Traffic on the Tamil Nadu-Andhra Pradesh highway was disrupted for over half an hour.
Vaniyambadi and the adjoining areas have been receiving heavy rains over the past few days. Due to the lack of proper sewerage, rainwater mixed with sewage has been stagnating in the Pallipattu residential areas, the residents alleged and also expressed concerns over health hazards.
The Vaniyambadi Taluk police reached the spot to hold talks with the protesters and said that the issue has been resolved. The residents were assured of immediate action and were peacefully dispersed.
Two days back, in a similar issue, rainwater mixed with sewage stagnated inside the Vaniyambadi Government Hospital, leaving patients stuck. This has been a "norm since the past four years, " alleged the residents.
Tirupattur has been receiving heavy rains for the last few days. Tirupattur SP Shyamala Devi inspected the Jalagambarai Falls and Andiyappanur reservoir in Vaniyambadi on Saturday as the water level rose in these places.
Vellore, Tiruvannamalai and Ranipet also received moderate to heavy rains on Sunday.