Government cites Thervoy Kandigai reservoir to refute DMK’s Krishna water claim

“Late Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa passed a government order to merge two water bodies in Thervoy Kandigai and Kannankottai, in Gummudipoondi division in 2012 with the aim to permanently solve the water crisis in Chennai. This is the first waterbody to be formed for catering to the water needs of Chennai, after independence,” said Jayakumar, in an official release.

The Minister’s statement is a response to the allegations of senior DMK leader and former PWD Minister Duraimurugan, who on Saturday, said that the state government had wasted Rs 186 crore by not constructing a waterbody to save water from Krishna river.

“The statement of Duraimurugan is bogus and is without facts. The project to construct a waterbody in Thervoy Kandigai had commenced in 2013 and 1,485 acres of land had been acquired for the project,” the Minister said.

He also said that there were legal hurdles as the land owners demanded additional rate for the land under the new Land Acquisition Act, but all the disputes have been solved. “100 per cent of land acquisition works and 60 per cent of construction works for the waterbody in Thervoy Kandigai has been completed,” he added.

He further said that in 2008 when the DMK was in power the Thamirabarani-Karumeni-Nambiyaru River linking project was announced without even acquiring land and environmental clearance for the project. It was only after the AIADMK come to power the environment clearance was obtained for the project and land acquisition project is now going on in a rapid phase.

The Minister also quoted another hasty work of DMK and said, “In 2008, DMK government commenced the work of constructing a bridge to link Anakaputhur and Tharapakkam but as some of thepillars of it were constructed in the land belonging to Indian Air Force and the bridge is now standing incomplete.”