Workers of Madurai Urban District Committee of the Tamil Nadu Untouchability Eradication Front (TNUEF) took up a mass cleaning campaign at Melavasal here on Friday.
Its secretary M. Balasubramanian said that the campaign was organized in observance of the 61st death anniversary of P. Srinivasa Rao, a freedom fighter who also fought for the cause of farm labourers.
The cleaning campaign was flagged off by Mayor V. Indrani Pon Vasanth in the presence of Deputy Mayor T. Nagarajan.
Later in the day, Madurai MP Su. Venkatesan visited the spot and conversed with the workers.
The campaign, taken up between 8 am and 1 pm, had workers desilting drainage and storm water drains, clearing of legacy waste over 2 tonnes in the area. Heavy vehicles from the Corporation were deployed to lift the waste.
“The population of Melavasal is mostly Dalit people who are yet to receive many basic amenities. Officials were briefed about it,” said Mr Balasubramanian adding that the front would keep striving towards the betterment of them.
Earlier, the Mayor and the Deputy Mayor planted saplings in the area.
DMK councilor of ward 76 R. Karthik, CPI(M) State committee secretary M. Ganesan and others, including over 100 workers, were present.