On December 26, 2022, Dalit residents of Vengaivayal, a village in the Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu, made a shocking discovery. A few children had fallen sick a couple of days earlier.
People suspected that the drinking water could be contaminated. A foul smell emanated from the water supplied through the pipes.
This prompted a few Dalit youth to climb up to the tank, where they found human faeces floating on the water inside.
Now, the 10,000-litre capacity tank lies in disuse and is barricaded.
One month on, the culprits still roam free and the humiliated villagers are angry. The village is now fully fortified by the police.
What steps were taken after the incident?
Reporting: R. Rajaram, Ancy Donal Madonna
Videos: M. Moorthy
Voiceover & Production: Abhinaya Sriram
