CHENNAI: The Assembly witnessed a heated exchange involving CM MK Stalin and opposition leader Edappadi K Palaniswami over the release of water from Sathanur dam earlier this month during heavy rains and it led to discussion on 2015 floods in Chennai following the opening of Chembarambakkam lake.
AIADMK MLA P Thangamani, speaking on the demands for grants for the first supplementary estimates for 2024-25, blamed the DMK government for opening around two lakh cusecs of water from the Sathanur dam without alerting the people, resulting in great hardship.
While Revenue Minister KKSSR Ramachandran denied the allegation, Palaniswami alleged that the minister was giving wrong information to the House.
Stalin said Chennai got submerged in 2015 because water was released without warning from Chembarambakkam and more than 250 people died. But, Sathanur dam was opened after five warnings and therefore huge loss of lives was averted. He said a CAG report said Chembarambakkam was opened without a warning. Responding, Palaniswami said the Adyar canal could withstand one lakh cusecs but only 29,000 cusecs were released from Chembarambakkam. Palaniswami said flooding was caused by heavy rains and surplus water from around 100 waterbodies and not due to release of water from Chembarambakkam.