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Residents demand seawall

Staff Reporter

Villagers stage road roko after a boy was washed away by the waves

— Photo: T. Singaravelou

PROTEST: Residents of Thanthirayankuppam, in Villupuram district block traffic on the ECR Road near Pondicherry on Friday.

PONDICHERRY: Residents of Thanthirayankuppam, a fishing hamlet in Villupuram district near Pondicherry staged road roko on ECR Road on Friday afternoon demanding that the Government immediately construct a seawall with boulders to prevent sea erosion.

The villagers took to the road after a 6-year-old, who was playing on the beach outside his home was washed away by the waves.

Police said his 8-year-old brother was rescued and admitted to hospital.

Traffic on the road was disrupted from 2 pm till about 6 pm and buses and other vehicles were diverted through Tindivanam and Auroville.

The villagers, who had come onto the road with the body refused to give up the protest. "Most of our village has been lost to the sea and each time we stage a road roko, the officials promise to take action but they fail to do anything concrete.

They have dumped boulders till Nadukuppam, which is adjacent to our village but they haven't done anything for us," the local president, Mani, said.

Black Deepavali

"We did not celebrate Deepavali this year since we were afraid that the water would wash away some homes.

Some villagers are moving out of the village because they fear their lives and property," Mr. Mani said.

Villupuram MP Dhanraj tried to pacify the villagers. On his part RDO Anbarasan said action would be taken in a month to dump boulders on the beach.

Jean Claude, a French national, who was witness to the children being taken by the waves, said he had sent several petitions to the Collector and to other government officials.

The sea entered deep into the village and the metal road on the beach side vanished along with several houses.

The concrete road is partly giving way due to the rising waves.

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Residents demand seawall

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