Wed Jul 02 12:54:22 UTC 2025: Okay, here’s a summary of the provided text followed by a news article rewritten from that summary.

**Summary:**

Villagers in Sanarpalayam, near Kolappalur in Erode, India, are vehemently opposing the construction of an electric crematorium in their locality. A public consultation meeting held on Wednesday (July 2, 2025) turned tense as residents from seven nearby villages expressed concerns about the environmental impact and alleged lack of consultation. The Revenue Divisional Officer has promised to forward their concerns to the District Collector. Villagers confronted the Town Panchayat Chairman, leading to police intervention.

**News Article:**

**Erode Villagers Protest Electric Crematorium Project, Citing Environmental Concerns**

**Sanarpalayam, India – July 2, 2025** – Residents of Sanarpalayam and surrounding villages in the Gobichettipalayam taluk of Erode district staged a strong protest on Wednesday against the proposed construction of an electric crematorium in their area. A public consultation meeting held by the Kolappalur Town Panchayat became a flashpoint, with villagers voicing their concerns about potential environmental damage.

The Town Panchayat had previously approved the crematorium project, securing ₹1.46 crore in funding from the State Government, to be built between Sanarpalayam and Molagoundanpalayam. However, residents of seven villages claim they were not consulted and fear the project will negatively impact the local environment.

“We were completely ignored in this decision,” stated a villager at the meeting. “The town panchayat did not seek our consent and even the local ward councilor was unaware.”

Gobichettipalayam Revenue Divisional Officer S. Sivanandham assured the assembled villagers that their concerns would be documented and forwarded to the District Collector for review.

The situation escalated after the meeting when residents surrounded Kolappalur Town Panchayat Chairman Anbarasan, resulting in a brief disturbance. Police intervened to ensure his safety. The villagers remain firm in their demand that the crematorium project be relocated.

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