Nainar Nagenthran slams government over contamination of water in Tiruvallur

CHENNAI: BJP state president Nainar Nagenthran on Tuesday flayed the DMK government, alleging gross administrative failure in ensuring the supply of safe drinking water and protecting farmers from agricultural losses.

Referring to reports from Pallipattu Municipality in Tiruvallur district, where over 40 residents were hospitalised after consuming drinking water allegedly contaminated with sewage, Nainar Nagenthran said the incident was "deeply shocking". He pointed to a "complete collapse of basic governance" under the DMK regime.

"Is the DMK government intent on endangering the lives of Tamil Nadu's people by supplying unsafe drinking water?" he asked, noting that the same locality had reported similar incidents last year and again just last month. "A recurrence of such contamination clearly exposes the DMK's administrative incompetence," he said, urging the government to immediately deploy medical teams and relief measures to prevent "a major tragedy."

The BJP leader also recalled past cases of drinking water contamination in Pallavaram (Chengalpattu district) and Uraiyur (Tiruchy district), noting that such incidents were occurring "across districts without exception, " raising disturbing questions about the government's ability to provide even the most basic necessity.

Hitting out at Chief Minister MK Stalin, he said, "A government incapable of supplying clean drinking water has no moral right to boast of 'good governance."

Nainar also criticised the DMK government over severe crop losses suffered by farmers near Cholavaram lake in Tiruvallur district, where over 50 acres of paddy fields were submerged after excess water was released without prior intimation. "The sight of harvest-ready crops drowning in floodwater is heartbreaking," he said.