Chennai, April 4 – In a rare and dramatic form of electoral protest, farmers and residents in the Tiruppur district of Tamil Nadu have announced plans to field nearly 400 candidates in the Tiruppur South Assembly constituency.
The move is aimed at pressuring the government to address their long-standing demand to declare Mudalipalayam and Nallur as "contaminated zones" due to prolonged waste dumping. The protest stems from years of garbage disposal practices in the region.
The Tiruppur Corporation, which handles waste from 60 wards, has been collecting hundreds of tonnes of garbage. Much of this waste was historically dumped into abandoned stone quarries in Mudalipalayam and Nallur, raising serious environmental concerns among local communities.
Although the Madras High Court prohibited dumping in these quarries on October 10, residents argue that the ban came too late. They claim that the accumulated waste has already caused irreversible damage to groundwater sources and surrounding ecosystems.
Local farmers say the contamination has directly impacted agriculture and drinking water availability, leaving many families struggling. They insist that officially declaring the affected areas as contaminated zones is essential for initiating cleanup measures and restoring environmental safety.
R. Sathish Kumar, State Secretary of the Legal Awareness Wing of Tamilaga Vivasayigal Pathukappu Sangam, who has also approached the National Green Tribunal (Southern Zone), said the groundwater in the region has become "completely contaminated".
He emphasised that government intervention is crucial and that formal recognition of the issue is the first step toward remediation. He also accused local authorities of ignoring repeated appeals.
According to him, representations made to Corporation Mayor N. Dinesh Kumar yielded no results. Instead, he alleged that police were used to suppress public protests.
Dinesh Kumar, who is now contesting as the DMK candidate in Tiruppur South, is now at the centre of the residents’ political protest.
P. Velusamy, coordinator of the Nallur-Mudalipalayam Environmental Protection Committee, confirmed plans to field a large number of candidates. He acknowledged logistical challenges, including nomination deposits, but said financial support would be arranged through sponsors. While organisers admit their candidates are unlikely to win, they believe the move will split votes and send a strong political message.
More importantly, they hope the strategy will force authorities to address the environmental crisis that continues to affect thousands of residents.
DMK candidate Dinesh Kumar was unavailable for comment on the allegations.