Tamil Nadu water crisis: Arakkonam MP seeks linking of Godavari and Krishna rivers with Palar

CHENNAI: Arakkanoam MP S Jagathrakshakan on Monday sought the Centre’s intervention to address the acute water shortage in his constituency.
In a petition to Union minister of jal sakthi Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, the DMK MP sought linking of the Godavari and Krishna rivers with the Palar river that passes through the Arakkonam constituency.
Jagathrakshakan said Tamil Nadu was affected by acute shortage of water.Arakkonam constituency has suffered the most in recent times as it one of the hottest places in the state.
“It is disheartened to note that around two lakh of cattle were reported to be dead in the last 30 days for want of water,” he said.
The MP said getting a pot of water for a family daily has become a challenge. “People are travelling for 3km to 5 km to fetch a pot of potable water, while parents are reluctant to send their wards to schools due to inadequate water in schools for drinking and sanitation purposes.”
He said the water crisis in Tamil Nadu could be addressed by bringing water from neighbouring states by rail, expediting the Hogenakkal combined drinking water project, desilting the water bodies and reviving the rain water harvesting structures. He requested the Centre to allocate fund for the projects under PM Krishi Sinchai Yojana to resolve the water crisis in the state.