Government flayed for letting surplus water into sea

MDMK youth wing meeting held at the party headquarters in the presence of its general secretary Vaiko passed a resolution demanding the creation of proper infrastructure to store flood water after the heavy southwest monsoon rain. The water bodies throughout the state should be improved, besides constructing new water storage structures, it demanded. 

Echoing similar views, CPM state secretary K Balakrishnan said for the last five days 15 tmc of water every day had gone into the sea through the Kollidam river and it would continue for few more days.

The Cauvery-Vaigai-Guntar scheme should be implemented to divert water to dry districts like Pudukkottai, Ramanathapuram, Sivaganga and Virudhunagar. Besides, seven check dams could be built across the Cauvery and Kollidam to store water, he said.

The state should also answer the question why it delayed desilting of canals till the Mettur dam attained full storage level. Similar loss of water occurred in 2013 and 2005, Balakrishnan said. Though, several schemes were drafted to store surplus Cauvery water, the state showed no concern to implement them, he added. He also lamented that the state failed to open Mettur dam when the storage reached 80 ft to recharge groundwater table despite a request from the farmers.