Town panchayat truck dumps garbage into river, one suspended

A video of lorry loads of garbage being dumped into a river near here recently has gone viral, prompting authorities to suspend a panchayat official.

Local people posted a video of the incident and sent a clip to district collector Anbuselvan following which Gunasekaran,the executive officer of the Thittakudi town panchayat, was placed under suspension, officials said on Thursday.

In the footage, garbage trucks are seen at the middle of a bridge linking Thittakudi and Ariyalur and the rubbish being tipped into the Vellaru river, brimming following the monsoon rains.

Locals protested the incident but the officials allegedly took no action following which the video was posted, sources said.

Meanwhile, Tirunelveli corporation officials have received complaints about hospital waste being dumped along the main road in the city.

People have sought action against those who dumped such waste on the roadside.