Several legislators raised the issue of lack of availability of drinking water across the State in the Assembly here on Wednesday. Four AIADMK MLAs raised the issue in the House and urged the government to take action over the matter.
B. Sathyanarayanan (T. Nagar constituency) urged the government to set up an overhead tank and supply drinking water in Bakthavatsalam Street in West Mambalam through the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board. Municipal Administration and Water Supply Minister S.P. Velumani promised action.
Recalling his earlier requests to the government about a proposal to be implemented at a cost of ₹58 crore, Usilampatti MLA P. Neethipathi said if the project was implemented, it would immensely benefit people in the area.
Pointing out that a drinking water project in his constituency was pending because of uncleared dues payable to the Electricity Department, Kangeyam MLA U. Thaniyarasu urged the State government to clear the bill so that the project could be implemented.
V.P.B. Paramasivam of Vedasandur constituency brought up the issue of shortage of overhead tank operators, electricians and sanitary inspectors. If the posts were filled up, the government could ensure efficiency in drinking water supply, he said.
Mr. Velumani said 99.11% of the rural areas had drinking water supply through pipelines and the State had to foot the expenses by itself, since the Centre had stopped its support for water supply to rural areas. During the AIADMK regime, about 1.21 lakh projects relating to drinking water supply had been taken up at a total cost of ₹10,400 crore, the Minister added.
