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Panchayat removes pipeline laid by people at Mankara

Staff Reporter

It was laid without sanction: panchayat president

VADAKKANCHERY (Thrissur district): The authorities of the Vadakkanchery panchayat ruled by the Communist Party of India (Marxist) (CPI-M) on Sunday removed a pipeline laid by the people at Mankara to provide drinking water in their area.

A large contingent of the police escorted the panchayat authorities during the pipeline removal operation fearing public protest.

Clarification sought

Some women in the area tried to seek clarification from the police and the panchayat authorities for the panchayat's decision to scuttle a water supply scheme formed by them.

However, they stuck to the non-violent path even when the authorities were forcibly removing the pipelines laid through hard labour.

C.M. Basheer, who was one of the leaders of the people's initiative for laying the pipeline, told The Hindu here that they were shocked and pained by the decision of the panchayat to remove the pipeline, which would have benefited nearly 30 families.

"We had given a representation signed by 34 persons to the panchayat authorities urging them not to remove the pipeline about two months back. We have not been given any reply for that representation," he said.

He said water scarcity was a long-pending problem on the upper north side of Abdulla Road in Mankara area. For decades, people were drawing water from a well in a privately owned land in the area.

The people finally chose to launch a drinking water scheme with the help of the owner of that water-rich well, as their plea for an official scheme was unsuccessful. The panchayat had given them the necessary sanction to `road cross' which was necessary to lay the pipeline across the road and accordingly they laid the pipeline.

Panchayat version

When contacted, panchayat president Surendran said that pipelines were laid without the necessary sanction from the panchayat and that was why it was removed. "The pipeline was laid by an individual and it is being falsely projected as an initiative of the people. This individual was given sanction for a `4.5 metre road cross' by the panchayat and he laid a 250-metre pipeline under the cover of that sanction," he said.

"He was given notice to remove the pipeline illegally laid through the panchayat land about a month back. Later, some people in the area gave a joint representation asking the panchayat to retain the pipeline. We cannot accept that plea because it is not a panchayat scheme," Mr. Surendran said.

Mr. Surendran also denied the reports that the area did not have any official water scheme. In fact, there were two water schemes in Mankara area, one run by the panchayat and the other by the Kerala Water Authority, he claimed.

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