MADURAI
Over 20 persons, led by Communist Party of India Madurai Rural district unit secretary P. Kalidoss, on Wednesday began an indefinite hunger strike atop Yanaimalai hillock near here seeking an end to dumping of garbage at Othakadai cremation yard.
Carrying a banner highlighting their demands, about 50 persons climbed up the hillock early in the morning. Though revenue and police officials conducted talks with the protesters, they refused to give up their agitation till the entire cremation yard was made free of garbage. However, about 30 persons climbed down later.
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P. Jawahar, a CPI functionary, said Othakadai panchayat had been using the cremation yard as a garbage dump. “The garbage dump has grown into a small hillock. The local residents have been fighting against this for several years,” he said.
During a similar protest held in March 2017, the revenue and block development officials gave an assurance to the people in writing that efforts would be taken to make the area clean within six months. But, nothing had been done till date, he added.
R. Kalimuthu, a functionary of Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam, alleged that sewage from nearby areas was being drained into Rajagambeeram tank. The entire tank was now polluted and, in turn, it was polluting water in wells and borewells, he charged.
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The other demand of the protesters was construction of toilets for traders at Othakadai.
A meeting of representatives of many political parties held late in the evening decided to continue with the protest.
Tahsildar (East) S. Somasundara Srinivasan said as Othakadai had become urbanised, it did not have poromboke land to be used as alternative dump yard. “The BDO has said that the garbage from Othakadai could be dumped in the Corporation dump yard after getting permission from the State government,” he said.