Villagers climb high-voltage tower in protest

Two groups of farmers climbed atop high tension electricity tower at different villages near here Tuesday, protesting against the measurement of land for the proposed erection of transmission towers by the Power Grid Corporation of India (PGCI), police said. A group of 10 villagers of Semmandampalayam climbed a tower in their village while a similar protest was held by around 20 others at nearby Chenniandavar Kovil as officials of the PGCI, who were accompanied by police, started the measurement work.

The protesters were persuaded to climb down and later arrested, they said. Earlier, tension prevailed in the villages as the farmers gathered, protested against the officials taking up the work and demanded that they leave.

They have been objecting to installation of the power towers on their agricultural land saying it would affect their livelihood. CPI(M) MP-elect P R Natarajan from Coimbatore condemned the arrest.