DMK working president M.K. Stalin on Sunday alleged that the AIADMK government had no far-sightedness when it came to water management, adding that this was exemplified by the release of water from various reservoirs into the sea in the last few days.
“Even though the Mettur dam is filled to capacity, the water is reaching the sea without being used for agriculture and drinking purposes. It is shocking that Tamil Nadu’s farmers are not able to reap the benefits of heavy rains in Karnataka,” he said in a statement.
Mr. Stalin alleged that since over 2,500 lakes and tanks were not desilted in the Cauvery delta region, the water could not be saved even though two lakh cusecs of water was being released. “That the Iynooru Pillaiyar Koil tank in Tiruvarur looks like a desert proves my point,” he contended.
Mr. Stalin said when the DMK was in power, then Chief Minister Karunanidhi had desilted all the waterbodies in the delta region and constructed many bridges across Coleroon river.
He said that the government had told the Assembly that ₹100 crore was allotted in 2016-17, ₹300 crore in 2017-18 and₹300 crore in 2018-19 for the kudimaramathu scheme covering 3,854 tanks and lakes. Besides, assistance to the tune of ₹3,008 crore was secured from the World Bank. Though the government claimed to have spent over ₹5,000 crore for water management, water was reaching the sea without being used for agriculture and drinking water,” the DMK leader charged.
