Ashvathaman, State Secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party in Tamil Nadu, announced that the proposed “Save Kedilam” protest that was scheduled for 9 January 2026 had been temporarily postponed following assurances given by the Panruti municipal administration on stopping garbage dumping into the Kedilam River.
Addressing the media, Ashvathaman said BJP workers had planned a major agitation to highlight the issue of waste being dumped into the Kedilam river. The protest involved collecting garbage from the riverbed and depositing it at the Panruti Municipality office. However, over the past two days, municipal authorities had begun clearing the waste using JCB machinery.
He said that a peace meeting was held at the Tahsildar’s office, where BJP representatives were invited, and it was decided that garbage dumping into the river would be stopped immediately. According to the assurances given, all waste already dumped in the river would be removed within 30 days.
Ashvathaman stated that it was also agreed that any future dumping of garbage into the Kedilam river, whether by private individuals or government officials, would attract a fine of ₹10,000.
He further said that under the Swachh Bharat Mission, treatment plants would be set up at an estimated cost of ₹13–14 crore. The project is expected to be completed within eight months, after which sewage water would be treated and reused for agricultural purposes instead of being released into the river.
Existing bio-manure centres in Mani Nagar, Netaji Nagar and Devaraj Nagar would process the collected waste through incineration, converting it into manure for agricultural use, he added. An estimate for the project has already been sent to the government for funding approval.
Based on these assurances given by the Municipal Commissioner, Ashvathaman said it was decided to postpone the protest march planned from the Kedilam riverbanks to the municipality office on 9 January 2026 at 10 AM. He described the development as a major victory for the “Save Kedilam” agitation launched by BJP workers.
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