The Hindu        23.03.2017 

Rs. 976 cr. to be spent to tide over drought

In dire straits:Failure of monsoon has resulted in rainfall shortage of 65 per centFile photo
 

Situation unprecedented, government taking measures on war footing, says Minister

Municipal Administration and Rural Development Minister S.P. Velumani
on Wednesday told the Assembly that the State was witnessing the worst
drought in 140 years and the government was implementing schemes at a
cost of Rs. 976 crore to tide over the crisis in both rural and urban
areas.

Replying to a calling attention motion, the Minister said
failure of monsoon had resulted in rainfall shortage of 65%. “The
government is taking steps on war footing to tackle the situation. The
schemes include digging of borewells, installation of electric and hand
pumps and plastic tanks, supply of water through lorries, replacing old
motors,” he said.

Mr. Velumani said Chennai used to receive 830
million litres of water per day and the failure of monsoon and drop in
Krishna water inflow had created an alarming situation.

“Now, the
city gets an average of 550 million litres a day from lakes,
desalination plants, Veeranam scheme, newly included groundwater
resources, Poondi and Thamaraipakkam wells,” he said.

Relief
works at a cost of Rs. 100 crore were being implemented to overcome the
crisis which would be of immense help, especially in May when the lakes
around Chennai go dry.

In rural areas, drought relief works are
being executed at a cost of Rs. 703.43 crore. “Drinking water projects
have been given priority and the grants from State and Central Planning
Commissions and other sources to the tune of Rs. 818.25 crore had been
released to panchayats,” he said.

Mr. Velumani said Rs. 15 crore
from the State Disaster Relief Fund had been released to maintain water
supply and another Rs. 300 crore from THAI scheme had been used to
desilt small canals, renovation of tanks and development of
infrastructure of water bodies.

Pointing out
that town panchayats had not faced any crisis till March, the Minister
said a total of 3,595 drought relief works were being executed at a cost
of Rs. 46.41 crore in town panchayats.