Chengalpattu villagers stage road blockade over drinking water shortage

CHENNAI: Residents of Araipakkam near Maduranthagam in Chengalpattu district staged a road blockade on Monday, protesting the shortage of drinking water in their village.

Residents said that drinking water had not been supplied properly for the past few days, forcing them to travel nearly 5 km on two-wheelers with empty pots to fetch water. The shortage has caused considerable hardship, particularly for those going to work and school students.

“We’ve approached the Araipakkam panchayat office and Maduranthagam Panchayat Union office several times for a solution, but no action was taken,” fumed a villager.

As a result, residents gathered on the Elavalampettai-Thirukalukundram State Highway on Monday morning, carrying empty pots, and staged a sudden road blockade. The protest caused heavy traffic congestion on the Thirukalukundram road, with vehicles stranded for nearly 2 km.

Police from Maduranthagam reached the spot and held talks with the protesters. However, they refused to withdraw the blockade, insisting that they would continue the protest until drinking water was supplied.

Later, Panchayat Union officials held talks with the villagers and assured them that necessary steps would be taken to resolve the water shortage. Following the assurance, they withdrew the protest and dispersed. The blockade affected traffic for more than two hours.