June 27, 2011

Farmers' forum seeks closure of private mineral water plan

Over 100 members of the CPI(M)-affiliated Tamil Nadu Vivasayigal Sangam staged a demonstration in front of the Office of the Block Development Office, Bargur, demanding closure of a private Reverse Osmosis water treatment plant at Sigaralapalli Panchayat, near Bargur, in Krishnagiri district on Friday.
They also demanded withdrawal of false cases foisted against the farmers who had opposed the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation's move to put up overhead wires in a lane at Sigaralapalli village that posed a threat to the life of people.
The Sangam alleged that the RO plant was supplying treated water to a mineral water company.
It exploited natural resources by sucking ground water as much as possible, depleting the water table in the area, already a drought-prone one.
Dry wells
Since the plant was extracting ground water indiscriminately, locals feared that bore wells would dry soon.
As many as 3,000 people living in Paiyadur, Erikollamedu, Sigaralapalli, Rangasamudhram, Ittiganur, Kuttappanayaganur, Thellapetta and Kollakottai villages have been using the water.
District Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) and State Committee Member of the Sangam D. Ravindran gave special address.
M. Dharman, district president, X. Irudhayaraj, district secretary, R. Sekar, state committee member of the Sangam, G.K. Nanjundan, CPI (M) taluk secretary, were among others who spoke.
It was also alleged that the panchayat president who owns the mineral water factory had disconnected water supply to a village with 350 houses in Santhakarambu and Kothalakuttai koot road since the last week of May.
A complaint regarding this had been made to the Block Development Officer.

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