CHENNAI: Revenue officials from Thanjavur on Tuesday retrieved the waterbodies encroached by seven private firms.

Sources said that a private plastics recycling unit functioning at Vendayampatti village near Boothalur in Thanjavur was found to be releasing untreated water into a waterbody utilised by the residents.

The firm also dumped the plastics waste into the waterbody, and around 30 cattle died after consuming the water in the month of March.

Condemning this, the residents and members from a few political parties staged a protest demanding action against the private plastics recycling unit. Subsequently, an inquiry by Thanjavur RDO Elakkiya was made, and she assured action against the private firm.

Meanwhile, based on the instruction by the RDO, the officials conducted an inspection at Vendayampatti in which they found that seven firms had encroached on the particular water body, and the officials submitted the report.

Based on the report, the revenue officials on Tuesday demolished the buildings constructed by the private firms and retrieved the waterbody.

According to the officials, the private firms like a tyre manufacturing unit, plastics recycling unit, a rice mill and a fabrication firm had encroached around 10 acres of land located in the waterbodies.