Chennai, March 14 (BPNS)
Water conservation experts of Tamil Nadu have demanded an increased budgetary allocation for the augmentation and rejuvenation of water bodies in the state. The water conservationists are of the opinion that during all budget seasons, the issue of funding to restore water bodies and water tanks is discussed but not materialized.
Tamil Nadu budget is to be presented in the legislative assembly on March 18th, Friday for the financial year 2022-23 and the demand of the water conservation experts is to sound the state finance minister PTR Thiagarajan regarding the urgency of the matter.
Professor S. Janakarajan who is an expert in water management and disaster risk reduction while speaking to IANS said, “ There have not been any major announcements regarding on water resources and it is to be noted that regulation of water supply from reservoirs is of paramount importance.”
He said that in Delta regions, the reservoir supply was unregulated and that the job of the officials is completed the moment the reservoirs are opened and that nothing is done to ensure that water reaches the tail end or the receivers end.
C. Rajeev of Centre for Policy and Development Studies, a think tank based out of Chennai while speaking to BPNS said, “ The groundwater situation in Tamil Nadu is getting worse by the day. There are instances of farmers digging bore wells as deep as 1500 feet to find groundwater and the solution is to convert all the abandoned bore wells into rainwater harvesting structures.”
He also said that the capacity of lakes should be increased so that at least 50 percent of the rainwater from catchment areas is held in these lakes. Speaking to IANS he said, “ The capacity of urban lakes can be improved by deepening, desilting, and plugging sewage outfall.”
Ramesh. K.P, Chairman, Chennai water resources foundation while speaking to BPNS said, “The Tamil Nadu government had appointed a 14 member committee headed by retired IAS officer V. Thiruppugazh to look into the planning of stormwater drains after the heavy rains and deluge that had hit the state in the past few years. However here also it has not gone forward due to paucity of funds and the expectations are on the new budget to be presented by the state finance minister, PTR Thiagarajan.”
–IANS
