Through round-the-clock hunger protest demanding rectification of shortcomings in the drinking water supply, residents of Sukkampalayam Panchayat, earlier this month, succeeded in galvanising the administrative machinery into taking corrective action.
The villagers resorted to this action after a series of protests in recent months failed to yield results.
When they had staged a protest on September 19 last year, the Palladam Panchayat Union and the authorities had promised necessary action. However, there was no progress.
During their second and third protests on October 2 and January 26, the residents boycotted the grama sabha meetings highlighting their plight.
The authorities, after the boycott of the grama sabha meeting for the second time, gave the villagers a written assurance promising prompt action. The officials had assured to provide drinking water connection to applicants on seniority basis and to disconnect illegal water connections. But then, there was no definite action thereafter.
Taking the support of Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Padukappu Sangam, the villagers staged yet another protest by sustaining their indefinite hunger protest.
The local body, this time, fulfilled its promise based on its written assurance through speedy action. Local body sources attributed the delay in streamlining of drinking water supply to the obstruction caused by one of the ward members, in carrying out the work on the main pipeline passing through the sixth ward.
The block development office of Palladam, the president and vice-president of Palladam Panchayat Union, the inspector of Palladam police station, and the village administrative officer of Sukkampalayam Panchayat got their acts together to convince the protesting villagers through spot action.
