Nagercoil, Nov 16: Maria Jenifer, the State Women's Wing Coordinator of Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK), has issued a statement regarding the maintenance of the Suchindram Thanumalayan Temple tank. She alleged that the renovation work was carried out in a substandard and irregular manner, failing to follow proper heritage preservation guidelines, which led to the collapse of the tank's compound wall.

She noted that while the restoration should have been handled on a war footing, it has been progressing slowly. Cracks are appearing in the remaining walls near the collapsed section, posing further risks. She criticized the district administration and relevant departments for not inspecting the site or taking corrective action. Jenifer questioned the competence and experience of the firm awarded the contract and demanded a formal investigation into their work. She urged the government to involve expert engineers and archaeology researchers for such historical restorations and insisted that future contracts should only be given to experienced firms under government expert supervision. She concluded by demanding strict action against the responsible contractors and officials.