The number of water-tankers had been increased to 560 in Chennai from 350 during the DMK rule
SP Velumani
Chennai: Dismissing the Opposition charge of water scarcity in the state, municipal administration and water supply minister S. P. Velumani on Wednesday said despite deficit rainfall in the last three years, adequate quantity of water is being supplied to the city people. He hit out at DMK floor leader M. K. Stalin for staging a demonstration protesting inadequate supply of drinking water in Kolathur recently even though there was no such issue.
Replying to a call attention motion on drinking water situation in the State moved by DMK, Left, Congress and PMK, Velumani said DMK’s protest on drinking water was very surprising as it was staged when there was no such issue. “New pots were brought in lorries and distributed to the people before the protest. When we inquired, there was no such issue of drinking water scarcity in the area,” he said.
“DMK men from elsewhere came to the protest venue and after the agitation left the place,” he said, underlining that it was not locals who had protested in Kolathur, the constituency represented by Stalin.
However, DMK members were on their feet immediately protesting the minister’s charges. Stalin asked for an opportunity to speak but the Speaker P. Dhanapal refused permission.
DMK legislator J. Anbazhagan, who spoke on behalf of his party in the call attention motion, was involved in a heated exchange with the Speaker. However, the Speaker warned him to return to his seat and refused to allow Stalin to raise the issue.
Earlier, Velumani detailed the steps and projects undertaken to meet the water demand and asserted that drinking water supply is ensured across the State despite reduced rainfall over the past three years. “In all regions of Tamil Nadu, drinking water distribution is being done in a good manner due to the steps taken by Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa despite low levels of precipitation in the past three years,” he said.
The number of water-tankers had been increased to 560 in Chennai from 350 during the DMK rule. “On an average, daily 5,500 trips are made to distribute water in Chennai.” The water supply to the 42 local bodies added to Chennai corporation had been increased to 101 MLD (million litres a day) from 56 MLD, he said.
“Even though minister’s reply tabled in the Assembly claim that many drinking water schemes were executed in the state, water scarcity is faced in various districts,” CPI (M) deputy legislative party leader K. Balabarathi said.
( Source : deccan chronicle )
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