It is a constituency with a significant rural population dependent on agriculture for a living but diminishing of water resources – including for drinking purposes – has turned into a mammoth problem for Vaniyambadi.
Unfulfilled civic needs, increasing pollution of the Palar river and absence of basic amenities in a number of rural pockets are some of the issues of the electorate.
Predominantly an agrarian constituency, Vaniyambadi has been plagued by problems of water sources for irrigation. Pullur, which is the starting point of Palar river in Vellore district, is now within the Vaniyambadi constituency. “The west of Vaniyambadi is the only stretch where the river is not polluted. It meets the water needs of industries and urban areas. As a result, there is over exploitation of ground water. The riverbed along Vaniyambadi and Ambur is polluted because of discharge from tanneries. The environment, agriculture and water sources are the three things badly affected,” observed Jamuna Thiagarajan, president of Vellore District Palar River Protection Association. Groundwater sources are diminishing slowly and farmers do not have water for irrigation purposes, pointed out R. Mullai, State Executive Member of Tamil Nadu Vivasaigal Sangam.
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Sitting MLA H. Abdul Basith of the Indian Union Muslim League – an ally of the DMK – is seeking a second term from Vaniyambadi constituency. He is facing debutant Govi. Sampath Kumar of the AIADMK.