Residents of Pazhayavalom Panchayat, under Tiruvarur Union, staged a protest by laying siege to the panchayat office, demanding the immediate restoration of potable drinking water supply.
According to the residents, more than 1,500 families live in Pazhayavalom village, where safe drinking water had been supplied for several years for both drinking and domestic use. However, for the past one year, the supply of potable water has allegedly been stopped, with only saline water being provided. As a result, villagers have been forced to rely entirely on water from a local pond for all purposes.
The residents stated that schoolchildren, women, elderly persons, and other villagers are currently using pond water for drinking, bathing, and sanitation. While the pond presently has water, they expressed concern over the approaching summer season, questioning how they would manage once the pond dries up.
The villagers alleged that despite repeatedly raising the issue with the panchayat administration, they had not received any proper response. Citing continued inaction, they gathered in front of the Pazhayavalom Panchayat office with water pots and launched a protest.
The residents further recalled that around three months ago, the District Collector of Tiruvarur had visited the area for inspection. During the visit, locals had complained directly to the Collector about the lack of safe drinking water and had even presented the saline water being supplied for verification. The Collector had reportedly instructed the concerned officials to ensure proper drinking water supply to the village.
Despite these instructions, the residents alleged that officials failed to implement the Collector’s directions. They specifically accused the Panchayat Secretary of neglecting the issue and not taking steps to restore potable water supply.
The protesters warned that if immediate action was not taken, they would escalate the agitation by staging a road blockade and a hunger strike in front of the District Collector’s office.
Meanwhile, attempts by journalists to contact the Block Development Office were unsuccessful. The residents questioned how ordinary villagers could access officials when even the media was unable to reach them.
The villagers reiterated that for nearly two years they had been receiving only saline water, forcing them to purchase water cans despite living in a rural area. They maintained that potable water sources existed within the village but alleged that officials continued to cite technical reasons and delays without resolving the issue.
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