The Hindu : Veeranam water for Chennai soon

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 07, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Veeranam water for Chennai soon

By R.K. Radhakrishnan

CHENNAI, FEB. 6. Borewells are being sunk in the catchment area of the Veeranam tank and water will be conveyed to Chennai to meet the chronic shortage in the city.

Work on the new Veeranam scheme is progressing well and city residents will benefit from it shortly, the Information and Local Administration Minister, K.P.Anbazhagan, told the Assembly today.

Intervening in the debate on the motion of thanks to the Governor's address, he said there was enough water in the aquifers in the area.

It was K.Pitchandi (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), who raised the issue of supply and asked how the Government proposed to bring water to Chennai.

Displaying photographs of a dry Veeranam tank bed, he said these recent pictures belonged to the Kurinchipadi MLA, M.R.K.Panneerselvam. ``Show me water in any of these pictures.'' Mr.Pitchandi wanted an all-party team to visit the area to find out the facts.

Mr.Anbazhagan said the photographs were not taken in the recent past. There was no need for sending a fact-finding team. Water would reach Chennai soon.

The Congress leader, S.R.Balasubramaniam, pointed out that the Government initially said only excess water from Veeranam was being drawn to the city.

``Now you say borewells are being sunk. This is funny.''

The Public Works Minister, O.Paneerselvam, clarified that water would be pumped from the borewells into the tank. It would then be conveyed to Chennai.

Earlier, when V.Sivapunniyam (Communist Party of India) asked about the viability of the Veeranam scheme, the Finance Minister, C.Ponnaiyan, said only excess water from the tank was being drawn for Chennai.

C. Gnanasekaran (Congress) wanted to know whether work on the canal linking the Srisailam and Somasila tanks was taken up. This was part of the Krishna water project and linking of the two tanks was essential.

He also pointed out that drinking water scarcity was acute in many parts of the State and called for greater allocation for maintaining and augmenting water supply schemes.

DMK, PMK walk out

The Health Minister, N. Thalavai Sundaram, reading out excerpts of parliamentary proceedings relating to a former Congress Minister's comment on the jailed Marumalarchi Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam leader, Vaiko, and his association with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam led to strong protests from the Opposition and a walkout by members of the DMK and the Pattali Makkal Katchi.

The Leader of the Opposition, K. Anbazhagan, said what the Minister said might be true but the question remained whether the Assembly could be used for making such statements when the Prevention of Terrorism Act case against Mr.Vaiko was sub judice.

The Speaker, K.Kalimuthu, said the Minister was only reading out an account of what transpired in Parliament.

At this, the DMK members were on their feet, demanding that the Minister be not allowed to continue to make the statement.

The DMK Deputy Leader, Durai Murugan, said even the Minister's statement could now be marked as a prosecution document against Mr.Vaiko.

The House should not be used for such narrow ends, he shouted amid the din.

When the Speaker did not relent, the DMK members walked out, raising slogans against the AIADMK Government and the Speaker.

The PMK members also walked out, but returned a short while later.

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