Actor Kamal Haasan on Friday took to Twitter again to caution the State government of impending floods that can devastate the lives of over 10 lakh residents of north Chennai.
In his latest post, Mr. Haasan said that the Kosasthalaiyar, a river much bigger than the Cooum, has not become a drainage till now and continues to be the livelihood of fishermen. “Already, we, without ecological concerns, have lost 1,090 acres in the estuary to encroachment,” he said.
Vallur thermal plant and North Chennai thermal plants are dumping fly ash into the river, he said. For years, environmentalists have been fighting against it but the government has ignored their concerns. Now, fishermen have joined hands with activists and raised their voices together but that also has fallen on deaf ears.
“Hindustan Petroleum and Bharat Petroleum have built their terminals on the river. I hear that there are efforts to grab 1,000 acres of land in the guise of expansion of Kamarajar Port,” he alleged. “Any government that neglects the river and prefers the land-trading class over poor people is good for nothing,” he charged further.
Even during normal rainfall like last year, north Chennai gets flooded. This year, weather experts have predicted excess rain. In such a scenario, there was a grave danger of the rains affecting the livelihoods of over 10 lakh people. “There is even danger to their lives,” he said.
While 100 walkie-talkies and boats could save the people affected in floods, good governance was in finding long-term solutions to the livelihood issues of the people, Mr. Haasan said. “Instead of crying after tragic incidents, I am warning the government and the people,” he said. Predicting the imminent fall of an unresponsive government, Mr. Haasan urged the people to expedite the process.
