The birth and death anniversary of Dalit leader Immanuel Sekaran who fought for the emancipation of the oppressed and was eventually killed during the Mudukulathur riots should be observed as a Government function, demanded K. Krishnasamy, president, Puthiya Tamizhagam, and Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA), Ottapidaram constituency in Tuticorin district.
Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Dr. Krishnasamy said that his party on July 23 would be paying homage to the victims of ‘Tamiraparani Tragedy' where 17 persons lost their lives following a brutal police attack on a procession taken out in support of a labour struggle. He also said that the party would be observing the death anniversary of Immanuel Sekaran on September 11, in a big way.
He further said that global warming has become a serious issue and is affecting the climate, resulting in drastic changes to the environment. Industrialisation has also led to changes like groundwater depletion, deforestation and these crucial things should be taken to public.
Out of the 385 blocks in the State, studies show that the groundwater level in 137 blocks has got depleted to dangerous levels.
During the recent past in Tamil Nadu, water resources were largely used for industrial purposes, 40 per cent of water used for agriculture gets resuscitated back, but in the case of industries, the water gets evaporated 100 per cent, he said.
In Tirupur because of the “lackadaisical approach” of the government, dyeing units mushroomed everywhere thus not only resulting in polluting the water resources but also depleting the groundwater, so the State should immediately focus on water resources and prevent industries and others from indiscriminate extraction of groundwater and inculcate the practice of using water judiciously. Groundwater Engineering Division has already warned that the depletion of groundwater could result in earthquake.
Rainfall is low in southern districts and that is one of the main reasons for the migration of people from south to Chennai and western parts of the State and “fortunately, we had better rainfall during the last two years and people came back to their villages to engage in agriculture but due to indiscriminate extraction of water, the agriculture has been affected,” he said.
The PT leader said that in the 12 blocks in his Ottapidaram constituency in Tuticorin, 9 blocks face the dangerous situation of groundwater depletion, he demanded that the groundwater should be used for agricultural and domestic purposes and for industries government should enforce regulations to use only desalinated seawater, the Tamil Nadu Groundwater (Development and Management) Act, 2003 should be implemented fully.
Dr. Krishnasamy will be organizing a people's movement consisting of civil society members, environmentalists and other like minded members to protect the water resources, especially the groundwater.
