Water emergency in Tamil Nadu: TR Baalu

Voicing concern over severe water shortage in Chennai, DMK MP TR Baalu said there is a water emergency in Tamil Nadu and urged the Centre to do the needful.

Raising the issue during the Zero Hour, he said, "There is a severe water crisis in the state which is leading to water emergency in Tamil Nadu".

Drawing government's attention to water shortage across the country, Baalu said in the next few years 21 cities could face severe water shortage and urged the government to take immediate steps in this regard.

Ramdas Tadas (BJP) said Wardha and Amaravati region of Maharashtra are also facing water shortage.

"Given the shortage, the government should consider declaring the region as drought affected and announce package accordingly," he said.

The Centre government should also consider debt waiver for farmers affected with drought situation.

Another BJP member Tejasvi Surya requested the government to bring changes in the recruitment process for Regional Rural Bank (RRB) so that proficiency in regional language should be included as part of eligibility criteria.

The eligibility criteria was changed after 2014 by allowing all to participate in the exam and those selected were given time of six months to acquire regional language proficiency.

The change in notification has led to people from other regions getting jobs and local people not getting opportunity even after knowing regional language.

Post 2014, the Institute of Banking Personal Selection changed the eligibility criteria.

Earlier replying to a question during the Question Hour, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State with independent charge, said that many new nuclear reactors are to be established by 2031. They are at various stages of implementation, he added.