People fear water scarcity due to govt failure in Cauvery, says EPS

COIMBATORE: AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K Palaniswami in Salem on Monday said people fear a looming water scarcity in Tamil Nadu as the DMK government has failed to find a solution to Cauvery water sharing issue.

Addressing reporters here, Palaniswami said with insufficient rains in Tamil Nadu and monsoon coming to an end in Karnataka, the people are in fear of facing a water scarcity.

“As farmers didn’t receive water from Cauvery, the crops are drying in the Delta region and affected farmers in the region are receiving no relief through crop insurance. The water level in Mettur dam is depleting and inflow also remains abysmally low,” he said adding, “It is not enough if water is opened on the customary day on June 12 alone, but it should be released in adequate quantity also.”

Further, Palaniswami said the people of Tamil Nadu would say how worse Tamil Nadu has gone under the DMK rule. “People are upset with the DMK for failing to curtail rising prices of essential commodities, which has risen by 40 per cent,” he said.

Responding to a query on CAG report on Centre’s schemes, the AIADMK leader said the report does not mean corruption. “There were similar reports from CAG on other governments too and as well as during the DMK rule,” he said.

The AIADMK leader said O Panneerselvam has been criticising the party’s mega conference in Madurai out of extreme frustration.

“The AIADMK created history with the participation of 15 lakh cadre in Madurai conference, which attracted the focus of the entire nation. Another milestone is that AIADMK is the only party to have achieved a rare feat of enrolling over two crore members,” he said.