Tamil Nadu earmarks 200 cr to handle summer water needs

Official sources said the city’s water supply would take a beating if the state fails in its negotiations with Andhra Pradesh to get 8 tmc of Krishna water between July and October. The current storage could cater to the city’s needs only for a few months. 

The announcement came after the CM was briefed about the rain deficit report for the monsoons. The storage levels in different water bodies across the state and the projected drinking water supply with it was also brought up during the meeting.

Metro water, during the meeting, was asked to draft a new scheme to cover the areas of Greater Chennai, which do not have piped drinking water supply. For every district, a senior official in the rank of a Secretary had been appointed to monitor and advise collectors. 

On the pattern of funding, Palaniswami said Rs 50 crore had been allocated for rural areas, while Rs 120 crore would go for urban pockets and Rs 14 crore town panchayats to ensure consistent supply of drinking water between May and June. The Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage (TWAD) Board would receive as much as Rs 16 crore as part of this allocation. The CM, who also reviewed PM’s Fasal Bima Yojana scheme, instructed officials to ensure that farmers received their dues in crop insurance amount. 

The meeting was attended by senior Cabinet Ministers and senior officials.