Chennai: Over 85 per cent of waterbodies in Chennai have been encroached by those with political background, the BJP here has alleged and called for concrete measures from the government to contain this. The party also sought a mechanism to ensure dwellings for the poor, especially the Adi Dravidas at Thiruverkadu in the city. Squarely blaming political parties for encouraging encroachments on waterbodies, BJP state president Dr Tamilisai Soundararajan has said the encroachments by politically influential persons have become rampant and government should take concrete steps to prevent the waterbodies from vanishing.
“Waterbodies are the lifeline to any place where people live and it is doubly so for Chennai, which always experiences problems due to water scarcity. It is sad that encroachments are made on lakes and rivers, chocking the primary source of water to the people,” she said after visiting residential settlements on the banks of Cooum river at Thiruverkadu here on Saturday. The BJP members of Tiruvallur district claim that some of the residents in Thiruverkadu were being evicted in the name of river widening programme. Tiruvallur west district president J. Loganathan accompanied Dr Tamilisai.
Earlier this year, the party president took pot shots at DMK saying the Dravidian major was seeking “pava vimochanam (salvation for their sin) by taking up the desilting of temple tanks.” During an occasion, party’s national secretary H. Raja had slammed civic authorities and said the waterbodies in Tamil Nadu have not been desilted for the past half-a-centurydu here on Saturday.
The BJP members of Tiruvallur district claim that some of the residents in Thiruverkadu were being evicted in the name of river widening programme. Tiruvallur west district president J. Loganathan accompanied Dr Tamilisai. Earlier this year, the party president took pot shots at DMK saying the Dravidian major was seeking “pava vimochanam (salvation for their sin) by taking up the desilting of temple tanks.”
