Mon Dec 09 16:00:50 UTC 2024: ## Sivakasi Residents Protest Sewage Channel Construction, Fear Water Contamination
**Sivakasi, Tamil Nadu, December 10, 2024** – Residents of Mannar Tirumalai Nagar in Sivakasi Taluk staged a protest on Monday against the construction of a sewage channel, fearing severe water contamination. The 300-meter channel, intended to carry sewage from Kongalapuram, is planned to drain near a traditional pond and well, a vital source of water for the community.
Residents claim that existing sewage drainage from nearby Sithurajapuram has already degraded the pond and well water quality, rendering it undrinkable even with reverse osmosis filtration. They expressed concerns that the new channel will exacerbate the situation, potentially causing a public health crisis. At least six deep borewells are located near the pond, further highlighting the potential impact on the groundwater supply.
The residents have appealed to officials from the Rural Development, Health, and Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to halt the construction. They have threatened further protests if the work is not stopped by December 10th. A delegation also visited the Collectorate seeking the Collector’s intervention in the matter. The protest underscores the community’s anxieties over the potential loss of their primary water source and the resulting health risks.
First Piper 