Residents of Kallipalayam Panchayat on Monday presented a petition at the collectorate grievance day stating that letting out of waste water by a private dairy unit had resulted in pollution of ground water in the entire vicinity.
The residents, displaying the poor quality of ground water, said that the families reside 3 km away from Kurumbapalayam at a place known as Pethanaickenpalayam.
Recently, when a group of residents sunk a bore well to commence construction of own houses, they were shocked to see polluted water yield. Similarly, the water drawn from a 780 ft bore well sunk by the panchayat to cater to the drinking water needs was also found to be extremely polluted.
Residents suspected the dairy firm to be letting the waste water into bore wells sunk for the purpose of draining the waste water.
This had resulted in college students vacating the place and senior citizens suffering from health ailments. Residents accused the dairy firm of intimidating the residents and silence on the part of the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board.
Action sought:
Representatives from Coimbatore Ramanathapuram Diocese – Holy Trinity Cathedral led by Chancellor George sought action against those who trespassed into Snehalaya, home for those inflicted with HIV and unleashed an attack.
The delegation, in a petition, also pointed out that trespassers in a bid to justify their actions were levelling allegations against the home and its administrators.
Meanwhile, members of the Communist Party of India (Marxist) presented a petition to the Collector seeking stringent action against those who unleashed a brutal murderous attack on those who went to question the alleged ill-treatment and torture meted out to inmates of Snehalaya a home for those inflicted with HIV.
Those who were tried to rush hospitals in car were chased and attacked, the petition said.
Self-immolation bid.
Ammasai of Annur created a flutter at the collectorate when she doused kerosene on herself and attempted self-immolation protesting against delay in survey of the land that belonged to her husband.
Ammasai said that her husband Arumugam inherited 4.5 cents from his father and when the family tried to transfer the title deed in their name, the revenue officials reportedly denied title deed. Revenue officials said that only 2.25 cents belonged to them and the rest were poromboke lands, she alleged.
She lamented that her petitions at various levels over the last eight months yielded no result, hence she was forced to resort to extreme decision.
Police personnel removed her for inquiry.
‘Regulate unskilled paramedical staff’
Members of the Coimbatore District Para-Medical Lab Educational Institution Welfare Association urged the administration to regulate unskilled and those without training conducting sugar test, blood pressure and even pregnancy tests at medical shops and also by putting up kiosks in public places and along the roadside. If such practices were allowed to continued, the use of un-sterilised tools could lead to spreading of contagious diseases, they expressed concern.
Permission sought:
Environmental activist K.S. Arumugam of Sundarapuram urged the district administration grant permission for conducting an event on February 28. He turned up with garlands made of water hyacinth leaves. Mr. Arumugam wanted to bicycle along the banks on water hyacinth on February 28 in a bid to create awareness on the ill-effects of hyacinth and also to enter the Limca book of records.
Probe demanded:
Residents of Kittampalayam near Karumathampatti thronged the collectorate with placards demanding a probe into alleged irregularities in the village panchayat.