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The Hindu
a day ago
- General
- The Hindu
Residents near Arani hoist black flags against setting up of new Sewage Treatment Plant
Residents of Ayyampalayam and Vannankulam villages near Arani town in Tiruvannamalai hoisted black flags atop of their houses to protest against ongoing work to construct Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) bordering these two villages. Residents said that more than 2,000 families reside in these villages that come under West Arani panchayat union of Tiruvannamalai district. Most of the families depend on agriculture and weaving. The new STP is being built to treat sewage water from Kannamangalam panchayat and Arani municipality, which are at least 15 kms away from these villages. As these civic bodies do not have government land within their limits for the project, vast tracts of land in the villages were identified for the purpose. The existing two lakes and several ponds in these villages provide s farmers water for irrigation. 'The new STP will contaminate groundwater in the area, affecting farming,' said B. Ramesh, a resident. Impact on farmlands Residents said that setting up of the plant near water bodies and farmlands will affect water qualit. This pollution of groundwater and surface water will impact farming in these villages, which have at least 1,200 acres of cultivated land. The panchayat officials said that the proposed plant will be set up on a 1.5-acre plot at the border of these villages at a cost of ₹7 crore. The new plant will treat waste water, mainly from households in the town and surrounding villages for a nominal fee from each household. At present, the panchayat officials said that most of the existing stormwater drains in these villages are used to discharge wastewater from households. This wastewater flows into nearby lakes and ponds, resulting in pollution. The new plant will end such illegal discharge of wastewater into the drains and pollution of water bodies. 'Despite protest by residents, construction works of the new STP has begun. The residents will now have to appeal to Tiruvannamalai Collector K. Tharpagaraj, for an alternative,' said K. Munuswamy, Executive Officer (EO ) , Kannamangalam town panchayat.
The Hindu
10-05-2025
- The Hindu
Chitra Pournami fest: Arunachala Hills off limits for devotees
In a bid to prevent untoward incidents, devotees will not be allowed to climb the Arunachala Hills in Tiruvannamalai town during Chitra Pournami festival — to be celebrated on Sunday and Monday. According to estimates, 25-30 lakh visitors are expected to visit the temple in view of the festival. Trespassing is banned at seven vulnerable locations on the hills, officials of the Forest Department, said. 'The ban will be strictly enforced. Forest teams have been deployed to prevent trespassing...,' Yogesh Kumar Darg, District Forest Officer (DFO), Tiruvannamalai, told The Hindu. Forest officials said that apart from the ban on climbing, pilgrims will not be allowed to enter the 14 km-long Girivalam Path around the hills, considering the safety of wild animals in the surrounding reserve forest — home to over 5,000 spotted deer. Such a move, they said, would also prevent accidental forest fires. At present, the hills are divided into eastern and western parts, covering over 900 hectares. The western side, which spans 699 hectares, is a reserve forest and the eastern side, which spans 2.99 hectares, is a reserve land under the (Tamil Nadu) Forest Act, 1882. The reserve land is mainly used for tree plantation drives carried out by the Revenue Department. Arrangements checked Collector K. Tharpagaraj, along with Tiruvannamalai Superintendent of Police M. Sudhakar, inspected the arrangements for the festival. Among civic amenities, 20 temporary bus termini have been set up on the outskirts of the town to operate 4,533 buses. Around 165 shuttle services will be available between the termini and the town. Traffic advisory has been issued for local residents. Those who have received special passes from the police can use cars and other vehicles within the town till 5 p.m on Sunday. Normal vehicular movement will resume at 6 a.m on May 13. Helpline numbers — 9363622330, 9159616263 and 9498100431 —have been announced for people to contact during emergencies. Two field level hospitals, 56 medical teams and 50 ambulances, including 15 bike ambulances, have been kept ready. A total of 5,197 police personnel will be deployed during the festival.
The Hindu
22-04-2025
- The Hindu
Over 20 temporary bus termini to be set up in Tiruvannamalai for Chitra Pournamai
Over 20 temporary bus termini will be set up on the outskirts of Tiruvannamalai town for Chitra Pournami, to be held on May 11 and 12. Accompanied by Tiruvannamalai SP M. Sudhakar, Collector K. Tharpagaraj inspected Mada Streets around Arunachaleswara temple as part of the preparations for the festival. Officials of the State Highways, which has identified encroachments on key stretches around the temple, said there had been a steady rise in pilgrims visiting the temple during the festival. Around 25 lakh-30 lakh visitors are expected to attend the festival. 'Tourist vehicles will not be allowed to enter the town during the festival to allow visitors to walk safely. Free shuttle services from the temporary bus termini to the temple will be arranged,' Mr. Tharpagaraj said. A total of 2,500 buses will be operated to Tiruvannamalai town from various parts of the State, including Chennai, Vellore, Ranipet, Madurai, Salem, Tiruchi, and Coimbatore. In the Vellore transport division alone, around 250 buses will be operated to the temple town. Southern Railway will operate special trains for the festival. 'During the festival, the 14-km-long Girivalam path will have adequate health help desks and medical camps for visitors. Sanitation workers from the Tiruvannamalai Corporation and panchayats will be roped in to ensure cleanliness of the town,' the Collector said. ' In terms of security arrangements, around 5,000 police personnel including two DIGs and 10 SPs will be deployed, with watch towers at key intersections and public places. Letters from VVIPs for special VIP darshan will not be accepted. The ₹50 special darshan ticket will be cancelled for the festival. In other words, all devotees will get free darshan during the festival. Special queues will be set up for senior citizens and pregnant women. Battery-run vehicles will be operated for the benefit of persons with disabilities, who will also be given special entry.
