Mail - TAN 2 edition

Garbage piled up near Thiruppachethi police station. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement In Ramanathapuram town, the underground drainage system is in a bad shape. Having spent crores of public money, the system is a ‘total failure’ and the public are facing so much of hardships while paying the UGDS tax at a rate of ₹300 per quarter for residential and double the amount for commercial. The pity is that the pipes laid below the ground that carry the waste water are too small in size and lack the capacity to flush out the dirty water to the pumping station located at several points. Due to this, sewage water is flowing out through man-holes making the town streets stagnant with filthy water and bad odour. The persons in power in the municipality at the time when the system was commissioned long back did the blunder resulting in the failure of the system. Sewage water enters my house on several occasions making my place nasty. I appeal to Chief Minister Joseph Vijay to allot funds on a war footing to replace the old pipes with large size pipes throughout the entire town and make the system useful to maintain the town clean and hygienic.Asmabagh AnvardeenRamanathapuramGarbage not cleared near police stationConservancy workers have not cleared garbage for the last one month. Despite several reminders, the officials here have not taken measures to lift the waste. I request the authorities concerned in Sivaganga Collectorate to inspect and clear the piled up garbage near the Thiruppachethi police station immediately.S Saravana Kumar, TirupachethiEncroachment near municipal officeIn Bodinayakanur, the Theni-Munnar road, near the Municipal office, has been encroached for the past five years by fish vendors, eateries and teashops. Similarly, near the main road, in front of the primary school campus and the police station there are many encroachments, causing traffic jam leading to much inconvenience to traffic and pedestrians. The authorities should not remain mute spectators and take stern action against encroachers and keep the eco-system free from such unauthorised occupation.Shanmugasundaram, Varaguna Street, BodinayakannurRepair water pipelinesUnderground drainage construction work has been ongoing in Aruppukottai for nearly a year. During the excavation, existing municipal water supply pipelines appear to have been damaged. Unfortunately, these damages may have gone unnoticed by the construction workers, and the underground drainage pipes were subsequently laid and the excavated sections sealed with concrete or covered with concrete pavers and metal roads. When the municipality subsequently releases water through the public water supply system, significant leakage occurs, resulting in the wastage of precious drinking water over concrete-paved areas and roads. Such leakage is difficult to identify and repair because the damaged water pipelines are covered beneath the newly completed surfaces. I urge the Aruppukottai Municipality to conduct a comprehensive inspection of water supply pipelines across the town, identify and repair damaged sections immediately, and prevent further water wastage. Timely action will help conserve drinking water and protect public funds.Doufeek Jailani, Aruppukottai Published - November 01, 2026 09:24 pm IST