The News Minute | March 1, 2015 | 3.23 PM ISTPolice lathi-charged people of Kollam district in Kerala who were protesting against a government company for not providing them drinking water.Protesters had gathered alleging that the functioning of Kerala Minerals and Metals Limited (KMML), a government of Kerala undertaking, had polluted the groundwater in Chittur and Chavara areas of Kollam district. Since the water was not portable, an agreement was reached between the company officials and people that the company would provide drinking water for them, which shall be supplied in tanker lorries.For the past two weeks the tanker lorry service was not available and the people were suffering. The people had met the company officials but to no avail. A group of enraged people blocked the vehicles of KMML on Saturday and began a protest.A team of police, led by the Circle Inspector, who arrived at the spot lathi-charged the protesters. Nine of them have been admitted in the Chavara Taluk Hospital. People living in the area have written to MLA Shibu Baby John demanding action against the police officials who attacked them without any provocation. People are also planning to begin a larger protest demanding a permanent solution to the water problem in the area. TweetFollow @thenewsminute