Don’t blame hand of God for water crisis: HC

A division bench comprising Justice S Manikumar and Justice Subramonium Prasad, on perusing the report submitted by the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board, was livid with the submission that owing to the failure of the monsoon from 2017, the water level in most lakes were down and that lakes like Sozhavaram and Senkundram had gone bone dry while Sembarapakaam with a capacity of 3,645 Mcft had a mere one Mcft left.

Wondering as to what the government has done in augmenting their water management despite a department existing for the same, the bench said that mere statistics on what has been spent will not remedy the situation. Pointing out that even the money spent largely revolved around civil works, the bench sought to know about the desilting work done on the water bodies thereby ensuring better water storage.

Advocate General Vijay Narayan appearing for the State submitted that water management is being taken up at three levels ranging from short term to long term. He also submitted that on the completion of the third desalination plant, Chennai would no longer have to depend on the monsoon to take care of their water needs.

But the bench on noting that things haven’t improved a bit when compared to the shortage experienced last year clearly revealing that the best of water management practices has not been ushered, was sceptical about the awareness campaign seeking residents to conserve water. “What is the point of a campaign when the lakes have gone dry,” the bench rued while seeking a report and the various GOs issued regards augmenting water supply. The plea has been posted for further hearing to June 26.