MADURAI
Around 100 residents of Panaiyur chanted ‘Kammava kaanom’ (tank is missing) at the Collectorate here on Tuesday in protest against encroachments in and around their village tank.
A section of residents had already submitted a petition to Collector T. S. Rajasekar, seeking identification and removal of unapproved plots and private encroachments on July 8.
M. Rajkumar, a petitioner, said that the Collector had promised to look into the matter within 15 days but did not. “We have come to the Collectorate again to demand our rights,” he said.
Several others like S. P. Tavamani and S. Anburaj said that the irrigation tank was still widely used by farmers in the area. Mr. Anburaj said that 97.26 acres of land was encroached upon by a private medical college and two acres by a private construction company.
R. Vimalkanth, another resident, said, “Medical waste from the hospital is being dumped into our tank. It will surely impact the groundwater quality in our area. What will happen to our future generations.”
The Collector deputed officials to the site to resurvey the tank. Mr. Anburaj, who was present during the inspection, said that a single plot was surveyed and that the exercise would be continued.
An employee of the medical college claimed that the college had not encroached upon any such land in the said tank.
