SALEM: Tension prevailed for several hours as scores of villagers from in and around Salem protested against carrying out soil tests being undertaken for the proposed 277-km long, Rs 10,000 crore eight-lane Green Corridor Salem-Chennai expressway project on Friday.
A soil test was conducted by a group of workers at Sarugumalai near Salem to construct an underground tunnel.
On hearing the news about the test, the villagers rushed to the spot and burst into a heated argument with persons carrying out the soil testing works.
Villagers claimed that the soil testing works were done by defying a court order restraining the State government from executing any project-related works until further orders.
As tension prevailed, a large number of police personnel were deployed at the spot to defuse tension. The cops then advised the villagers to leave the spot.
Expressing anguish over the activity, the villagers urged the state government to honour the court order and restrain from doing any soil testing work.
