Metro water doing splendid job: Saidai S Duraisamy

DMK councillors led by floor leader S.C. Bose raised the issue of city’s water crisis, a move that was preceded by countless insults aimed in their direction. However, in his response,

Duraisamy chose to play down the issue.

“It was under DMK rule that people were forced to wait with two empty buckets in their hands for a water tanker that never came.” The Tamil Nadu government was spending crores of rupees to help people tide over the issue. “Can you people show me one area which is complaining of non-availability of water?” Duraisamy said.

“You (DMK councillors) are all pretenders.” He charged them with giving interviews without proof and facts. The metro water is doing a splendid job of handling the city’s water problems,” Duraisamy said. Referring to protests organised by former Mayor M. Subramanian, Duraisamy charged that he will produce video evidence to prove that those who protested with empty buckets were infact DMK party men and not affected residents.

Later, the Mayor entered into a verbal duel with Bose which resulted in more mud slinging, this time at the expense of DMK treasurer M.K. Stalin. Bose went on the offensive, arguing with Duraisamy that as many as 98 per cent of complaints received during Stalin’s grievance redressal programme in his Kolathur constituency, pertained to water issues.

Duraisamy responded stating that the Jayalalithaa government and his council had left no stone unturned in addressing Kolathur’s welfare issues.

“The metro water supplied 310 lakh litres of water through pipelines and 188 public sumps to 1,372 streets in Kolathur. They have also dug 73 borewells.”

“Around 189 streets have been identified as without having water supply and in these areas, water is supplied from 320 sumps of 3000 litre capacity besides tanker lorries.”

Duraisamy said the government had spent Rs 2.34 crore on 16 drinking water projects and Rs 4.95 crore on sewage projects in Kolathur constituency.