TN: CM Palaniswami Suggests That Media Is Exaggerating The Situation Of Water Crisis In The State

The recent news of two frogs being married in Udupi, Karnataka to appease the rain gods might have amused a lot of us. As much as it tells about the superstition, it also points to the desperation of the villagers with respect to water scarcity in the country.

Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu, Eppadi K Palaniswami, while speaking to reporters on June 18, said that media is citing cases to exaggerate the situation of the water crisis in the state.

This comment by CM Palaniswami comes at the time when the Madras High Court rapped the state government for not taking adequate steps to avert the crisis-like situation.

“Media Friends Blow It Up”

Speaking to the reporters, CM Palaniswami said, “If there is water shortage is one place, the media friends blow it up as a big thing. I request you all to not blow it up and show as if the entire Tamil Nadu is reeling under a water crisis.”

CM Palaniswami further said that the state government was taking steps to deal with the situation. He said that delayed monsoon was the reason behind the depletion of groundwater levels. He also mentioned about the meeting organised by the Minister for Municipal administration with relevant officials regarding the water situation.

He said that people are using water meant for drinking supplied through lorries of Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) for bathing, washing dishes. “Our Monsoon starts only in October-November and we have to manage water till then. Keeping that in mind, we are supplying water to people. We are also supplying water to people from desalination plants.”

Notably, the Madras High Court rapped the state government on the current situation of water shortage. It asked the ruling government to submit a detailed report on desalination and water availability measures.

On June 18, the Court accused the TN government of inaction. It accused the government of waiting passively for the arrival of monsoon instead of proactively handling the water crisis situation. The court noted that this crisis did not happen in one day.

“Hype Created By People In Media”: Jal Shakti Minister

Not just Tamil Nadu CM, but recently, even the newly-appointed Jal Shakti Minister Gajendra Shekhawat called the water-crisis situation in the country to be a ‘hype created by media’.

On June 11, he said in a press conference, “Up north, in Himachal and other areas, there is enough water in the dams. The entire panic of a water crisis is only a hype created by people in media.”

It may be noted that it was only last month that the Centre had issued drought advisory to Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu. This advisory is issued when the water level in reservoirs is 20% less than the average of live water storage figures of the past 10 years.

The Logical Indian Take

There are enough data and reports to prove that India is in fact reeling under one of the worst water crisis. The situation is worse in states like Tamil Nadu where this scarcity is hampering day-to-day activity. Several IT companies, hotels and hostels are being closed because of this reason.

The groundwater level is also depleting at a great rate. The residents of Chennai are dependent on the private tankers for their water needs. This dependence has allowed the private tankers to hike the fee by 100%.

With all this happening, if the CM and Jal Shakti Minister still believe that this is ‘media created hype’, then nothing can be more saddening than this. One of the first steps in solving a problem is acknowledging that the problem exists. The Logical Indian hopes that government takes strict measures to provide relief.

It is often said that the third world war would be fought over water. While earlier it was said to bring water scarcity to people’s attention, this adage no longer seems an exaggeration. This article is a part of series The Logical Indian is focussing on to bring to you reports of water scarcity which is only getting worse.

Also Read: Frantic Desperation As Water Crisis Worsens: Woman Stabbed By Neighbour Over Water Dispute In Tamil Nadu