Action sought against AIADMK worker for hindering desilt works in Thanjavur

TIRUCHY: Residents from a village in Thanjavur staged a road block protest on Wednesday against an AIADMK functionary for hindering desilting works in their locality.

According to the protesting residents from Palathali village near Peravurani in Thanjavur, a 125 acre Kadamangal lake located in their village is the major water source for several villages in and around Palathali. The lake was not desilted for the past 25 years and so the water storage had also shrunken and dried up during the summer.

In order to revive the waterbody, the residents made a crowdfunding initiative with the volunteers from the village and a non-profit organisation. Subsequently, the desilt work had commenced on May 28, and the Thanjavur MP S Murasoli inaugurated the work in the presence of Peravurani MLA Ashok Kumar.

As the works were going on for the past 48 days, the revenue officials initiated steps to remove the encroachments after surveying the waterbody.

However, in the past couple of days, the Peravurani North Union AIADMK secretary, Durai Manickam, has been interfering in the desilt works and hindering the removal of encroachments and this affected the ongoing desilt works.

The irate residents on Wednesday staged a road block protest demanding action against the AIADMK functionary.

On information, the Peravurani police rushed to the spot and held talks with the agitating residents. Upon assurance by the police, the residents withdrew their protest. Traffic was affected for around one hour on the Pattukkottai-Peravurani highway.