Can't remain MLA if solutions for flooding not found: Selvaperunthagai tells TN Assembly

CHENNAI: Congress legislature party leader K Selvaperunthagai, an ally of the ruling DMK, declared in the State Assembly on Tuesday that he would not be able to continue as an MLA if the Thiruppugazh committee's recommendations on mitigation of floods in the capital city Chennai were not implemented.

The Congress leader seemed to highlight public anger because of recurrent floods devastating people's lives in Chennai. But that one, coming from the ruling DMK's alliance party chief, that too inside the Assembly, has become a talking point.

Raising the issue of waterlogging in some areas in his Sriperumbudur constituency during the Question Hour in the State Assembly, Selvaperunthagai said that the report of the Thiruppugazh committee must be fully implemented. Flagging the water logging issue, the Congress legislature party leader said that he had assured his constituency voters that he would not continue as MLA if it were not implemented. Responding to the strong statement of the CLP, State Water Resources Minister Duraimurugan assured the House that he would definitely consider the request of the Congress MLA. The State government constituted a committee headed by former bureaucrat V Thiruppugazh to suggest remedies for flooding and water logging in the State capital. The state government has yet to make public the recommendations.

Later, responding to the requests of various MLAs, including deputy Leader of Opposition R B Udhayakumar, who raised the issue of undertaking kudimaramathu works in the State's leftover 8,000 water bodies, Duraimurugan said that the department was keen on constructing 1,000 check dams in the coming year, which will be the real solution to the irrigation challenges in many places.