As mercury soars, Salem prison provides water in mud pots
materials to remote areas, such as the polling booths at Bodhamalai in the Rasipuram assembly constituency of Namakkal district. Ofcials carried EVMs, VVPATs, and control units on their heads, trekking through the hills for a distance of ve kilometres. These booths serve 1,142 voters residing in Keezhur, Melur, and Kedamalai, situated at an altitude of 1,100 meters above sea level. With road-laying works ongoing in the hills, o cials anticipate the use of vehicles for future elections.
Similarly, in the Erimalai and Kooturmalai tribal hamlets of the Pennagaram assembly constituency in Dharmapuri district, election materials, including EVMs, were transported via tractor for the rst time. With recent development of mud roads in the hills, the tractor transportation method was employed, serving the 634 voters in the hamlet.
To provide its inmates respite from the scorching sun, the Salem Central Prison administration has arranged to provide drinking water in mud pots. The administration will also monitor the pots through CCTV cameras to prevent misuse.
There are 1,043 prisoners in Salem prison, including 190 convicts, 717 remand prisoners, and 88 prisoners detained under the provisions of the Goondas Act. The capacity of Salem Central Prison is 1,431. There are 15 blocks in the prison, including the higher security block, hospital block, factory block, new admission block, convict block, remand block, and Goondas block. Through the Corporation pipeline in the blocks, prisoners take drinking water in plastic pots and take them to their respective cells.
Since temperatures in Salem have been high over the past month, the prison has now arranged for drinking water in mud pots.
Salem Central Prison superintendent (in-charge) G. Vinoth said that prisoners were complaining that the water in the plastic pots were becoming hotter and that they were unable to drink it during the noon hours. Considering that, a total of 31 pots—two mud pots for each block— were placed on Wednesday. The drinking water will be lled three times a day and these mud pots are kept in a place with CCTV coverage. The Quick Reaction Team (QRT) in the prison will also monitor the pots and give a daily report to the jailer.