The CPI(M) has demanded that the State Government expeditiously implement the Cauvery-Gundar river linking project to benefit the water-starved districts of Virudhunagar, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and parts of Madurai.
Addressing the media here on Thursday, its State secretary K. Balakrishnan said the party had conducted a survey with farmers and entrepreneurs of 27 villages in Virudhunagar district for alternative policies to protect agriculture and small-scale industries.
“The Cauvery-Gundar project has remained in the nascent stage and has not been implemented with full vigour. At least, 250 TMC of water from the Cauvery has wastefully drained into the sea this year. If the water had been diverted, it could have turned arid areas in the southern districts into a fertile land,” he said.
He pointed out that people of the districts were struggling even for drinking water. The State Government should make higher allocation for the project.
Further, the fireworks industry in Virudhunagar was facing several challenges from the Union Government and environmental activists. It was also facing several bans and was forced to take up practically impossible ‘model’ crackers.
Mr. Balakrishnan said that world-wide coal-based industrial units such as cement factories and thermal power plants and vehicles were major pollutants. However, since the major industries were run by big corporates and fireworks were operated by small players, the action was directed on the fireworks units instead of the major polluting industries.
On Income Tax raids against BBC, Mr. Balakrishnan said that never had been such action taken against a media house in the last five decades. “BBC is now targeted because its documentary accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the Gujarat riots,” he said.
Accusing that the Modi Government favoured the Adani groups in more than one ways, Mr. Balakrishnan demanded a joint parliamentary committee probe into it.
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