A group of residents from Pookkuzhi village under Thidiyoor village panchayat near here submitted petition to District Collector R. Sukumar on Monday seeking his intervention to ensure the sufficient and regular supply of drinking water to their hamlet.

The petitioner villagers said the residents of Pookkuzhi were running from pillar to post for getting potable water as there was no supply of drinking water to their hamlet for the past 30 days. However, the nearby Thidiyoor village is getting regular and sufficient supply of drinking water due to the apathetic attitude of the panchayat officials.

“The personnel entrusted with the job of operating the drinking water valves from the overhead tank at prescribed time refuse to release water to Pookkuzhi. Even though we’ve submitted complaints with the panchayat president and the Block Development Officer, no action has been taken to release water from the overhead tank to Pookkuzhi. Hence, the Collector should give due instructions to the panchayat administration for releasing water regularly to our village,” the petitioners said.

Farmer S. Subbiah from Azhagiyapandiapuram near Maanur submitted a petition seeking the removal of fence erected across the ‘bullock cart path’ being used by the agriculturists for decades for taking agro inputs to their lands.

Mr. Subbiah said the farmers of Azhagiyapandiapuram were using a ‘bullock cart path’ for over 110 years for carrying saplings, fertilizers and other agro inputs to their 70 acre cultivable land. After two individuals erected barbed wire fence across the ‘bullock cart path’, the farmers could not use it for taking agro inputs for cultivation of crops ahead of the ensuing northeast monsoon.

“Hence, the Collector should instruct the revenue and survey department officials to inspect and survey this spot for rendering justice to the affected farmers,” Mr. Subbiah said.