JOIN USMandur women who joined the protest on Tuesday said they were fighting for the welfare of their spouses and children and did not want the future generations to suffer like them.
Most women claimed that they had developed rashes on their bodies and many others in the villages surrounding Mandur had kidney-related problems.
Radhamma said her husband Krishnappa had died of renal failure some time ago. Another agitator, Prema Murthy, said children in her village had been suffering from various health complications, including asthma.
Highly contaminated
She said her son was 10, but looked like a three-year-old. “We were dependent of groundwater for more than five years until we realised it is highly contaminated,” she said.
Janavadi Mahila Sangathan, the women’s wing of CPM, is backing the protests.
Its office-bearer Gowramma said the plight of women in the villages was much worse as they cannot share their health problems with others.
She said cases of asthma were very common in the village and many had been frequenting hospitals in Bangalore.