With the State government planning to bring water to Chennai from Jolarpet to tide over the prevailing scarcity, DMK treasurer Durai Murugan on Saturday said the water, supplied through the Cauvery combined drinking water project, should not be diverted to Chennai.
Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami had earlier announced that the government had allotted ₹65 crore for bringing 10 million litres of water per day (MLD) to Chennai.
Mr. Durai Murugan, who addressed a demonstration organised by his party in Vellore to urge the government to take steps to supply water, said water could be supplied from Jolarpet if it was available there.
“But we are against diverting water supplied through the Cauvery combined drinking water project. The water is supplied to various places, from Tiurpattur to Arakkonam, and supply is limited to one or two days per week because of the prevailing scarcity. If it is taken to Chennai, we will suffer,” he said.
The DMK leader said the government had, in the past, brought water from Tiruchi and Erode by train, and this could be done even now.
Velumani clarifies
Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister S.P. Velumani on Saturday said he never denied the water crisis prevailing in Chennai.
Speaking to mediapersons, the Minister said some in the media had misinterpreted his statement. “I said that we [State government] supplied 450 MLD [of drinking water] in 2017 and that we are supplying 525 MLD today, even in this situation,” Mr. Velumani said.
“The groundwater level decreased due to lack of rains for 198 days,” he said. The drinking water supply, however, had increased in the city, he claimed.
Regarding the transportation of drinking water from Jolarpet to Chennai, Mr. Velumani said the initiative will not affect the water availability for the people of Jolarpet.
