Put in place water supply policy, urges Anbumani

Alleges govt.’s actions are favourable to soft drinks major

PMK youth wing leader Anbumani Ramadoss on Friday urged the Tamil Nadu government to set out a clear policy on providing water to manufacturing plants. He further stated that companies that do not explicitly pollute the surroundings must be given priority over those that do.

Reacting to the recent High Court judgment that the supply of Tamirabarani water to these plants for making soft drinks could not be stopped, he alleged that the Tamil Nadu government’s actions were favourable to the companies.

‘Govt. sided with firms’

“During the court hearing, the government completely sided with the two companies. The arguments that were placed by the lawyers of the companies were identical to those of the State government. The government must take responsibility for this,” Mr. Ramadoss said.

According to him, questions posed by the judges raise serious concerns. “The judges have asked why the Tamil Nadu government has not filed any cases against other companies that use river and ground water and have singled out only these two companies. The Tamil Nadu government must clarify this not just to the judges but also to the people of Tamil Nadu,” he said.

Arguing that leather industries that pollute the environment could not be placed on the same plane as the soft drink manufacturers, he said, “With Tamil Nadu suffering from a terrible drought, it is not acceptable to let these companies exploit water resources. The water provided for plants that pollute the environment must be stopped.”

MMK expresses shock

Meanwhile, the Manithaneya Makkal Katchi also expressed shock over the judgment. In a statement, its President M.H. Jawahirullah said that it had emerged that the statement given by the Tirunelveli District Collector had played a key role in the verdict.

“The Collector has said that the cola firms use only surplus water. This statement is condemnable,” he said.

He also said that the verdict would affect the agriculture and water needs in the surrounding areas.