MJK cadre stage a novel protest to draw attention to bad roads in Tirunelveli

Deploring the worst condition of the roads within the Tirunelveli Corporation limits that remain badly damaged for more than two years in view of the underground drainage work, members of Manithaneya Jananayaga Katchi staged a novel protest on the Corporation premises on Tuesday and submitted their petition to Mayor G. Ramakrishnan.

Led by A. Bilal Raja, state secretary of the party, the party cadres staged a protest with red ink-soaked bandages to highlight the rising number of accidents caused by the condition of the road and demanded the immediate re-laying of all damaged roads within the Corporation limits.

In a petition, the party said most of the roads in Tirunelveli Corporation are in worst shape after these stretches were dug up for the underground drainage project, laying the drinking water pipes, and for other works. Even though these works were completed long ago, the Corporation was yet to re-lay the damaged roads.

Consequently, the damaged roads were causing accidents. Even though the senior citizens, women, schoolchildren, and the patients being rushed to the hospital suffered bleeding injuries in these accidents, the “almost dead” Tirunelveli Corporation administration refused to act to alleviate the tax-paying residents’ sufferings.

“The residents of Melapalayam, where the Corporation has failed miserably to create even minimum infrastructure facilities all these years, are suffering a lot after recent rains. If the northeast monsoon sets in, the already battered Melapalayam will witness outbreak of water- and mosquito-borne diseases. Instead of citing shortage of funds as a lame excuse, the Corporation should re-lay all damaged roads,” said Mr. Bilal Raja.

DMK councillor P. Seetha of Ward 39 submitted a petition urging the Corporation to re-lay the roads damaged in the underground drainage project in her ward.

Farmers’ plea

Farmers of Tamirabharani Tirunelveli Channel Nainarkulam Irrigators’ Association, led by its president C. Nellaiyappan, submitted a petition seeking action against a realtor constructing culverts without permission for converting cultivable lands into housing plots. The petitioner farmers said the realtor was constructing culverts over the irrigation channels carrying water from Nainarkulam to feed over 586 acres of cultivable lands in this area.

If the culverts, being built without permission, were allowed, farming under Nainarkulam would become history. Hence, the Corporation should stop this move to convert the cultivable lands into housing plots, farmers said.

A group of residents from Thimmarajapuram in Ward 8 submitted a petition seeking the removal of water hyacinth from the nearby Vettuvaankulam that hampers free flow of rainwater into the waterbody. “Since the densely grown water hyacinth prevents the flow of rainwater into Vettuvaankulam, the rainwater now stagnates along Gandhi Street of Thimmarajapuram after recent rains to create nauseating condition. Hence, the Corporation should remove the water weed,” the petitioners said.

Another petition with similar prayer was submitted by R. Mani from M.K.P. Nagar who sought the removal of water hyacinth from the storm-water drain in their area.

Seeking the removal of the concrete pillars being built inside a storm-water canal along Thenpatthu Road in Tirunelveli Town of Ward 26, a petition was submitted. “If the Corporation allows the encroacher to build the pillar which is part of a spacious room, it will lead to severe flooding of Thenpaththu Road and all the homes on this busy road during the upcoming northeast monsoon,” the petitioners said.

While the residents of Krishnaperi Street in Ward 16 submitted a petition seeking action to control stray dog menace, the Azhagar Nagar residents of Ward 54 submitted a petition seeking the re-laying of roads damaged in the underground drainage work and fixing of LED lights in the electric poles.