Volunteers in Madurai who planned to clean and restore stretches of the dry Vaigai river have alleged that police stopped the activity, insisting that formal permissions were required.
The move followed a recent speech by Tamil Nadu Governor R. V. Arlekar at a private event in Madurai, where he said he was surprised to see the Vaigai without water and urged local youth to take up cleaning the river as a civic responsibility.
As the issue drew political attention, a minister criticised the Governor’s remarks. Meanwhile, some volunteer groups prepared to carry out cleaning work with school and college students in areas such as Yanaikkal and Azhwarpuram, and one group said it had submitted a petition to police on July 4 seeking permission and security.
However, on the day the clean-up was to be held, police reportedly declined permission, stating that the river stretch falls under the maintenance of the Public Works Department and the Madurai Corporation and that approvals from those departments were necessary.
Police said this was standard procedure and that permission would have been granted if the required letters were produced. Volunteers, however, alleged that the requirement was not communicated in time and claimed the denial was linked to their reference to the Governor’s call in their petition.
