Date:19/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/19/stories/2008111952020300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Nagapattinam

“Increase discharge from Mettur dam”

Special Correspondent

Help farmers: CPI(M) cadres participating in a road roko at Sikkal near Nagapattinam on Tuesday.

NAGAPATTINAM: Traffic in many places was affected as the CPI (M) staged road rook agitations in at least 10 different places in the district to highlight the water shortage and farmers’ problems.

The party demanded an immediate increase in the Mettur discharge to 20,000 cusecs.

On the Keezhaiyur road, traffic was brought to a halt for a few hours after A.V. Murugaiyan, district secretary, and party members sat down on the road and made Pongal. The police arrested the cadres and released them later.

In Sikkal, traffic on the busy Nagapattinam-Tiruvarur road was affected as MLA V. Marimuthu and district propaganda secretary Mali participated in the road roko.

Following assurance from the RDO and the tahsildar that action would be taken by Friday,the cadres dispersed. Similar road rokos were held in Thittacherry, Alangudi, Nagore, Kilvelur, Sirkazhi and other places.