Duraimurugan urges CM to talk directly to Pinarayi

The committee formed on March 9, 2020, will hold the discussions related to the project with Andhra Pradesh government, a copy of the policy noted tabled by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami in the Assembly onWednesday stated.

The note also read that the project upon completion will help the state to harvest 300 TMC of surplus water from the perennial Krishna and Godavari rivers. The state had also written to the Prime Minister in this regard seeking early completion of the interlinking projects. The policy note, also pointed out that the state is taking all efforts through the National Water Development agency, a special committee for interlinking of rivers to speed up the Pamba – Achankoil – Vaippar link project that will help TN to get 22 TMC surplus water from neighbouring Kerala.

Meanwhile, DMK leader Duraimurugan urged the Chief Minister to hold direct talks with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on interstate water disputes. Participating in the Assembly debate, Duraimurugan said, “As a senior politician I have witnessed the failure of several interstate water sharing committees headed by bureaucrats. Such committees have failed again and again without getting our riparian rights. Our late CM M Karunanidhi reached out to his Kerala counterpart EMS Namboodiripad and it succeeded. Now neighbouring Kerala has an able and good-hearted CM. Make use of the opportunity,” Duraimurugan, who has served as the PWD minister urged.

To this, Chief Minister Palaniswami said that the state was confident with the interstate water sharing committees formed between TN and Kerala. There is good progress in the talks and soon based on the developments further negotiationswill be held.