DMK stages protests, state government performs 'Yajna' as water crisis worsen in Tamil Nadu

As the state of Tamil Nadu faces acute water shortage, MK Stalin led DMK holds protest Jafferkhanpet area against the state government. People are still struggling to get water even as Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswami (EPS) on Friday chaired a high-level meeting to find a solution for the problem. 

The main opposition in the state, DMK has been protesting against the Tamil Nadu government's inaction to solve the water scarcity. 

However, the state government in Tamil Nadu is conducting Yajna at various places including at Patteeswar temple in Coimbatore praying for rain. AIADMK organised a 'yagna' at Arulmigu Gangadeeswarar temple in Purasawalkam, Chennai praying for rain.

State Minister D. Jayakumar, says, "A drought-like situation is prevailing, in this context, we went to the almighty & performed special prayers for rain."

The state of Tamil Nadu, especially cities like Chennai are facing acute water scarcity for almost two months now. The city is provided from four reservoirs - Poondi, Chembarambakkam, Puzhal and Cholavaram whose capacities have dipped below 1% of the demand hence fail to supply water to Chennai. The city receives its water from its three main desalination plants and other tankers and pipelines. However, while addressing the media at Chennai, the chief minister indicated that the water crisis was being exaggerated, EPS said:

"In case of a water issue somewhere, it should not be blown up to give a false impression that the entire State is reeling from water scarcity, nature has failed."

READ: TN CM Edappadi K. Palaniswami downplays Water Crisis Issue prevalent In The State, Says 'water Scarcity Reports Are Blown Out Of Proportion By Media'

However, after the high-level meeting on June 21, talking about the other steps taken by the government to provide water, he added that water was being transported by trains from Vellore, pipes from the Veeranam lake adding there was not adequate water supplied from the Krishna river - the quota allotted to Tamil Nadu under the Telugu Ganga Project of the Andhra Pradesh government. 

"Government has taken all efforts to supply water to the city. We are bringing 10 MLD of water to Chennai through train from Vellore in expense of 65 crores. We are also bringing water from the Veeranam lake  everyday. We did not get enough water from Krishna river. We've got only 2  thousand million cubic feet (TMC) water out of 12 TMC which we should get," he added.

READ: Chennai Water Crisis: "We Are Bringing 10 MLD Of Water To Chennai Through Train From Vellore And Veeranam Lake," Says Tamil Nadu CM EPS Asking People To Use Water Judiciously

The Chennai city requires around 850 Million litres of water per day out of which only 525 MLD of water is only been supplied every day to the city through the metro tanker lorries which was agreed by the municipal corporation minister SP Velumani himself during a press conference.

The streets of Chennai has seen people standing with plastic pots everywhere for several hours a day from, people who have booked a tanker lorry and waiting for several days to get it delivered to their doorsteps because of the high demand.