Tamil Nadu CPM secretary asks Chennai High Court to reconsider verdict

Chennai: Expressing shock and surprise over the decision of the Madurai bench of the Madras high court lifting the ban on Pepsi and Coca Cola companies to draw from Thamirabarani river, CPM state secretary G.Ramakrishnan on Thursday said the court should reconsider its decision in view of the severe drought prevailing in the state.

He said the court had permitted Coca Cola to draw nine lakh litres of water every day and Pepsi to get 15 lakh litres each day, he said and pointed out that the total quantity of water to be drawn from the two companies would be 24 lakh litres. He said it would lead to scarcity of water in Tirunelveli and Tuticorin since the river is already dry. There is no water for cultivation in Tirunelveli, Thoothukudi and Virudhunagar and people are facing severe drinking water scarcity, Ramakrishnan said.

Allowing the multi-national company to draw from Thamirabarani will result in depletion of groundwater and the verdict adds salt to injury, he said.
He also announced that the party would carry out a five-day campaign from March 2 against the deterioration of politics in the state and to highlight the pressing problems of people. The party said there is a power struggle in the AIADMK and it is shameful that a prisoner is running the state administration. He also said the DMK's greed for power had resulted in violence in the Assembly.