Tirunelveli Corporation officials receiving a petition from a public during grievance redress meeting held on Tuesday.

| Photo Credit: A. SHAIKMOHIDEEN

Urging the Corporation to act tough against the encroachers, who have built a toilet and a cattle shed on the drainage channel and the road respectively, causing stagnation of sewage and consequent poor sanitary condition in their area, the public submitted petitions to the officials here on Tuesday.A group of residents of Karuvelankundu Street in Tirunelveli Town, ward 16, said a resident of this street heaped sand and stones inside the drainage channel in front of his house to facilitate the construction of the toilet. As the sewage was overflowing from the blocked drainage channel, the residents informed the Corporation’s sanitary officers, who warned the violator to remove the illegal structure.“However, the officials were verbally abused and threatened by the influential encroacher, and hence the toilet is still standing on the drainage channel. Emboldened by it, another resident has now built a cattle shed on the road to keep his goats, chicken and the pet dog, making the road narrow. Hence, the Corporation should remove both the encroachments,” the petitioners said.Another group of people from Pattupillaiyar Temple Street under ward 34 in Palayamkottai submitted a petition seeking action against the construction of steps of a house on the road by an individual. “Since the steps built on the already cramped road obstruct vehicular movement and cause accidents, the Corporation officials should inspect the spot and take due action to remove the steps constructed on the road,” they said.Congress functionary V. Iyyappan of Thadiveeran Temple Street in ward 22 in Tirunelveli Town submitted a petition seeking the repair of the damaged road in this street. “I’m submitting petitions with this appeal for the past 2 years. However, the Corporation is adamantly refusing to take any action to re-lay the damaged road. So, the Congress party will stage a dharna on the Corporation premises very soon,” Mr. Iyyappan said.He also said the garbage bin removed from the spot near the beedi company on Thadiveeran Temple Street should be kept again for easy removal of degradable and non-degradable waste by the Corporation sanitary workers. Published - August 11, 2026 08:37 pm IST