More than 300 families in Eripuram village near Thalavadi in Tamil Nadu’s Erode district have been facing a drinking water shortage for several months prompting women residents to stage a road blockade on Friday.
The residents, who come under Thalavadi panchayat, said regular drinking water supply to the village had stopped months ago. They had been collecting water from nearby agricultural fields but the availability of water in those areas has also declined.
With limited alternatives, residents said they had recently been forced to use rainwater for drinking. They also alleged that repeated complaints to the panchayat administration had not resulted in the restoration of regular water supply.
Carrying empty water pots, the women blocked the Eripuram-Thalavadi road on Friday morning disrupting traffic for more than two hours. Buses, including school buses, were also unable to pass through the affected stretch.
Panchayat and Revenue Department officials, accompanied by police personnel, reached the spot and held talks with the protesters.
The officials assured the residents that the motor at the defunct borewell would be repaired and steps would be taken to restore drinking water supply. They also said measures were being considered to find a permanent solution to the water shortage.
Following the assurance, the protesters dispersed and traffic movement resumed.