CHENNAI: Despite the unprecedented drought coupled with Karnataka’s failure to release water as per the Cauvery Authority’s order, the State government has been maintaining the quantum of drinking water supply as during the pre-drought period but receding groundwater table is causing trouble for people who require it for purposes other than drinking, said Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in the Assembly on Monday.
Intervening the discussion on a special mention raised by Leader of Opposition MK Stalin and MLAs from opposition parties, the CM said, “Despite the dams in State having very less storage and some other dams having gone dry, the government has been maintaining the water supply. When late leader J Jayalalithaa was the CM, 7,415 MLD of water was provided. Now, we are supplying 7,508 MLD. This supply was just 4,945 MLD during the previous DMK regime.” The CM also said since people could not get groundwater for purposes other than drinking, they use drinking water for such purposes. Hence, the scarcity.
Meanwhile, replying to the special mention, Municipal Administration Minister SP Velumani said the State government was doing its best to maintain the quantum of drinking water supply, despite the fact that ‘Nature had failed Tamil Nadu’.
Reeling out the host of measures taken during the recent past for augmenting drinking water supply and steps being taken for the coming months, the minister said for Chennai alone, the CM had sanctioned Rs 233.72 crore for drinking water requirements during the summer. Apart from the earlier efforts, works have been completed at a cost of Rs 19.17 crore for bringing 10 MLD of water from Erumaiyur stone quarry. From the second week of July, this water would be distributed to Chennaiites.
Velumani also promised that between July and November, the supply of drinking water for Chennai would be maintained at 525 MLD even if there was no rain.
The minister further said if desalination plants at Nemmeli and Perur are commissioned, the drinking water requirement of Chennai could be met even if monsoons fail.